On the 19th of December, in Small Hall of the University of Latvia the book “Comments on the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia. Chapter VIII. Fundamental Human Rights” was opened. To create study, which is unprecedented in entire history of Latvian law by means of its pregnancy, thirty-seven highly qualified specialists and scientists of law united their efforts.    

Ivars Bickovics, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court also addressed authors and readers of comments on the Constitution at the event dedicated to the opening of the book. The Chief Justice appreciated publication of comments on the Constitution. He stressed the fact that among authors of comments, who represent academic environment, there are also several legal practitioners, namely, judges. Thus, besides Egils Levits, the judge of the European Court of Justice, and Ineta Ziemele, the judge of the European Court of Human Rights, two senators of the Supreme Court - Dr.iur. Jautrite Briede and Dr.iur. Janis Neimanis and two judges of administrative court - Ieva Viskere and Anita Kovalevska also gave their contribution into understanding of Chapter VIII of the Constitution.

Jautrite Briede commented Article 104 of the Constitution about the right to address submissions to State or local government institutions and to receive a materially responsive reply, and in the Latvian language.  

Janis Neimanis commented Article 102 of the Constitution about the right to form and join associations, political parties and other public organisations.

Moreover, Jautrite Briede together with Ieva Viskere, Gatis Litvins, Agris Bitans and Edvins Danovskis wrote comments on Article 92 of the Constitution about the right to defend his or her rights and lawful interests in a fair court.

In opinion of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, to begin commenting on the Constitution was logical step, as Article 92 establishing the right to fair trial can be found in this Chapter.  “This is the right, which hadn’t worked until recent past, although we anticipated its existence”, I.Bickovics pointed out. By last years of the last century, number of cases in Latvian courts increased rapidly, and, obviously, it happened so because residents know their rights and opportunity to defend those in courts ever better. In their turn, courts should never forget their duty in implementation of the Article 92 of the Constitution. In relation to this, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court quoted pre-war senator Theodor Bergtals, who admitted: “A judge should never forget that live people peer from flat and maybe even boring covers of court acts, and they feel painfully the way court satisfies their needs, which sometimes are daily and necessary”.

Work upon valuable edition – comments to the newest chapter of state fundamental law, “Fundamental Human Rights”, had lasted for three years. It is a scientific project of the University of Latvia managed by Dr.iur. Ringolds Balodis, the professor and the Head of the Department of State Law of the Faculty of Law of the UL, and professor Aivars Endzins is the Head of the editorial board. Comments are put out in publishing house of official editor “Latvijas Vestnesis”, and the same as the Constitutions, those are provided for any individual and may be useful reading for everyone, who is interested in his/her rights and wishes to obtain new knowledge.    

 

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