On August 12, Sanita Osipova, Senator of the Department of Civil Cases, addressed teachers with a lecture entitled "Fundamental Human Rights and the Constitution" during Summer Days for history and social science teachers which took place in Bauska.

The Senator provided an overview of the history of the concept of inalienable human rights and freedoms and spoke about the core fundamental rights – the minimum that the state must guarantee. The first fundamental rights formulated in the Great Charter of Liberties are freedom, property and a fair trial. The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen adds many new ones, but first and foremost equality and freedom of expression.

The lecture emphasized the importance of the right to a fair trial. "Individuals cannot defend any fundamental rights if they do not have the right to go to court. Consequently, if the right to a fair trial is restricted, access to other fundamental rights is essentially denied," noted the Senator.

Sanita Osipova called on teachers to strengthen their students' freedom of conscience, which is the foundation and boundary of all other freedoms. Freedom of conscience gives rise to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom of artistic and scientific creativity, the right to education, the right to work and other fundamental rights. The Senator emphasized that freedom of speech is not absolute but a carefully guarded value, which it is exercised through responsible communication.

"When looking at a country, it is always about people living together – society, its identity and culture. A country is like its people who form this country," said Sanita Osipova at the end of her lecture, emphasizing the role of teachers in educating the future leaders of the country. That is why the Senator was delighted to accept the invitation from the History Teachers' Association to meet with history and social studies teachers.

The conversation was lively and interesting. Teachers asked questions such as where to put emphasis when teaching the basics of law in schools, how to ensure that judges are fair, how courts coexist with artificial intelligence today, and others.

Summer Days are a traditional meeting of members of the History Teachers' Association which is organized every summer, each time in a different region of Latvia. The aim is to bring together teachers in the social and civic fields to introduce them to current issues in the field, to improve their skills and to promote cooperation between teachers. This year, teachers from all regions of Latvia are gathering in Bauska from 12 to 14 August for the Summer Days event.

 

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