European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice
The European Commission for the Efficiency of Justice (CEPEJ) was established by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe in 2002. Aija BRANTA, Senator of the Department of Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court, has been a representative of Latvia to the Commission since 2003.
The aim of the CEPEJ is the improvement of the efficiency and functioning of justice in the member states, and elaboration of relevant documents adopted by the Council of Europe. In cooperation with national institutions, the Commission annually prepares reports on assessment of European systems of justice.
Consultative Council of European Judges
The Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) is an advisory body of the Council of Europe on issues related to the independence, impartiality and competence of judges. The Council is composed of judges only. Aija BRANTA, Senator of the Department of Criminal Cases of the Supreme Court, has been a representative of Latvia to the Council since 2006.
The CCJE develops and provides opinions to the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe on issues regarding the status of judges and the exercise of their functions.
Circle of European Trademark Judges
Zane PĒTERSONE, Senator of the Department of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court, has been a representative of Latvia to the Circle of European Trademark Judges (CET-J) since 2017.
The CET-J is a group of European judges working in the field of trademark law. It consists of participants from 20 Countries and two representatives of the General Court. It was founded in 1996. The network aims to provide its participants with a broad exchange of views, solutions and items of European trademark law and actual questions of daily trademark court business.
European Union Intellectual Property Office
Zane PĒTERSONE, Senator of the Department of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court, is a Latvian representative to the EUIPO Boards’ of Appeal Judges’ Quality Assurance and Legal Practice Panels (J-QALPP) and EUIPO Boards’ of Appeal Mediation IP Judges Network.
The EUIPO Boards of Appeal are responsible for deciding on appeals against first instance decisions taken by the EUIPO concerning European Union trademarks, registered European Union designs and EU geographical indications for craft and industrial products. Decisions of the Boards of Appeal can be appealed before the Court of Justice of the European Union.
European Patent Office
Zane PĒTERSONE, Senator of the Department of Civil Cases of the Supreme Court, has been an alternate external member of the Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO) since June 2025.
The EPO Boards of Appeal are the first and final judicial instance in the procedures before the European Patent Office. They have the task of reviewing contested decisions of the Office's departments of first instance within the framework of the European Patent Convention (EPC).
European Competition Law Judges
Senators of the Department of Administrative Cases of the Supreme Court, Rudīte VĪDUŠA, Ermīns DARAPOĻSKIS and Laura KONOŠONOKA, are representatives of Latvia to the Association of European Competition Law Judges (AECLJ).
The Association was founded in 2002. It gathers judges who hear cases in their courts involving both national and European competition law. The main aim of the Association is to promote knowledge and understanding of competition policy and law issues throughout the respective judiciaries.
In 2018, Aija Branta received the CEPEJ Award for contribution to strengthening the quality of justice in Europe