On Monday, the 2nd of May, the Plenary Session of the Supreme Court elected Peteris Dzalbe in the post of the Chair of the Department of Criminal Cases of the Senate.

Peteris Dzalbeappreciated previous work of the Department of Criminal Cases headed by Pavels Gruzins, the long-term ex-Chair of the department, at the same time, stressing directions, to which bigger attention will be paid in future. P.Dzalbe indicated necessity to use senators’ knowledge in lecturers’ work and in preparation of publications of legal content, to improve shape and content of rulings of the Senate, as well as to organise regular discussions of senators with representatives of legal sciences.   

Peteris Dzalbewas the only candidate for the post of the Chair of the Department of Criminal Cases of the Senate. This post has been vacant since the 1st of April, when Pavels Gruzins terminated execution of duties due retirement. The term of office of the Chair of the department is five years.  

When P.Gruzins left the post of the senator, the Plenary Session of the Supreme Court had to decide also about the vice-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  Two candidates – Peteris Dzalbe, the Chair of the Department of Criminal Cases of the Senate, and Veronika Krumina, the Chair of the Department of Administrative Cases of the Senate – were advanced to this post, which may be held by one of Chairs of departments and chambers. Peteris Dzalbe was elected for the post of the vice-Chief Justice of the Supreme Court by majority of votes. The term of office of the vice-Chief Justice is seven years.

Peteris Dzalbewas born in 1959. He graduated the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia. Since 1984 he has worked in court system: until 1995 he had been the judge and the Chair of popular court of Jelgava city; between 1995 and 2005 – the Chair of Zemgale regional court. Since 2005, Peteris Dzalbe has been the senator in the Department of Criminal Cases of the Senate of the Supreme Court.   

Peteris Dzalbehas been the vice-Chair of the Judicial Disciplinary Committee for eleven years, and in 2010 he was elected in the post of the Chair of the Disciplinary Court. Since 2009, he has been a member of the Central Elections Committee elected among judges.

Peteris Dzalbeis awarded with the Mark of Distinction of Judiciary of 3rd tier; he also received the Themis Award of the Supreme Court in nomination “The Judge of the Year-2010”.

 

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