Ineta Ziemele, the judge of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) spends her summer vacation in Latvia working – also meeting judges of the Supreme Court.

The meeting in the Supreme Court on the 6th of August was continuation of discussion that rose up between judges of the ECHR and national highest court instances in the international conference “The Role of National Supreme courts in Protection of Human Rights” on the 2nd of May, searching for common points of work in field of human rights protection.

I.Ziemele analysed several recent judgments against Latvia stressing that the ECHR is not the fourth court instance that reviews cases and admits someone guilty or not guilty; however, it evaluates if mechanisms of human rights protection are provided in the state and if they operate within concrete case effectively. The judge of the ECHR provided explanation for questions judges of the Supreme Court were interested about as well as indicated trends of cases that came from Latvia recently.

I.Ziemele expressed opinion that it would be wrong to reprove Latvian courts and judges for gaps in their knowledge 10-20 years ago, as all national system learned basis of democracy and law-based state that time. Now, when basic things are arranged and stabilised, courts should turn to quality of judgments and become serious players on national power ground, giving direction of thoughts also to other branches of national power. Courts have got opportunity for new qualitative step and both country and the ECHR wait for it from Latvian courts,- I.Ziemele pointed out.

 

Information prepared by

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

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