A calendar is, by nature, fleeting – it passes with the year it was meant to serve. Yet a calendar can endure if it tells a story. For the past 20 years, the Supreme Court has been publishing its own calendar, each edition sharing a unique story. An exhibition of these calendars is now on display in the Supreme Court lobby.

Each displayed calendar is accompanied by a description of the event to which it is dedicated, together with relevant exhibits from the Supreme Court Museum, including photographs and other documentary evidence.

For example, alongside the calendar featuring the Palace of Justice sculpture “Justice”, visitors can view other works submitted to the 1938 sculpture competition. Next to the calendar dedicated to the history of the Palace of Justice, there is an invitation and a site plan for the ceremonial opening of the Palace in 1938. The calendar marking the anniversary of the Civil Law is accompanied by a luxurious copy of the law – bound in leather with metal fittings – one of thirteen copies presented by President Ulmanis to the drafters of the law in 1937.

Some calendars tell the stories of contemporary events, such as the Supreme Court’s Themis Awards, the restoration of the Senate within the Supreme Court, and the project “The Senate reads the Constitution”. Others are dedicated to the Palace of Justice, originally built to serve the Latvian Senate and other courts; the images depict both the halls of the Palace and its interior architectural details.

Another group of calendars testifies to the creative talents of the senators and court employees. These calendars feature paintings, photographs, and drawings, each with its own story. For several years, the calendar has been created collectively – works are submitted in response to an announced theme, and a vote is then held to determine which work will be included.

In addition to marking national holidays, the calendar highlights four important dates in the history of the Supreme Court, namely December 19 – the founding of the Latvian Senate in 1918; May 16 – the restoration of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia in 1990; October 3 – the restoration of the Senate within the Supreme Court in 1995; February 6 – the establishment of the Senate's Department of Administrative Cases in 2004.

It is important for every institution, including a court, to be aware of its institutional identity and continuity. This can be fostered even through something as seemingly fleeting as a calendar – an object that, nevertheless, can endure as a story for history.

The exhibition "Twenty Years of the Supreme Court Calendar" is on display in the lobby of the Supreme Court. To visit it, please register with the Division of Communication via e-mail komunikacija@at.gov.lv. Upon arrival at the Supreme Court, please present a personal identification document – a passport or an ID card.

 

Information prepared by

Rasma Zvejniece, Head of the Division of Communication of the Supreme Court

E-mail: rasma.zvejniece@at.gov.lv, telephone: +371 67020396, +371 28652211