On September 12, a lot of interested lawyers gathered at the Supreme Court for a guest lecture organized by the Latvian Law Institute, given by Conor Quigley KC, an expert in state aid law, visiting professor at the London School of Economics, and King’s Counsel. After the lecture, the guest met with Aigars Strupišs, President of the Supreme Court.

In his lecture, Conor Quigley provided a broad overview of the principles of European Union state aid law, types of state aid and methods of granting it, as well as an insight into the relatively new European Union foreign subsidy control regulation. The Professor spoke about the application of block exemptions, paying particular attention to aspects of state aid in the context of taxation and international arbitration. The role of national courts in the process of providing state aid was also addressed.

Whereas, during his meeting with the President of the Supreme Court, the Professor expressed interest in current developments in Latvian courts. The President presented statistics on state aid cases heard by the Senate and cases in which the Senate had referred preliminary questions to the Court of Justice of the European Union. Responding to the professor's interest in the role of international cooperation of the Supreme Court in resolving legal issues, Aigars Strupišs pointed out that the annual meeting of judges of the Supreme Courts of the Baltic States is particularly valuable, as it provides an opportunity to discuss topical common legal issues of the three Supreme Courts, thus gaining broader and more diverse perspectives.

Professor Quigley presented the Supreme Court President with a copy of his monograph on the European Union's legal framework for state aid, European State Aid Law and Policy. This is the fourth edition of the book.

During an informative tour, the Professor took a look inside the historic premises of the Palace of Justice and gained an insight into the origins and development of the Court at the Supreme Court Museum.

This was the tenth guest lecture by foreign academics in Latvia organized by the Latvian Law Institute. The initiator of the program, Director of the Institute, Edijs Poga, expressed his satisfaction that in this anniversary year the event took place in a symbolic location – the Palace of Justice.

The Latvian Law Institute’s guest lecture program of foreign academics is organized with the support of the Supreme Court, the Competition Council, the Latvian Collegium of Sworn Advocates, the law journal “Jurista Vārds”, the Faculty of Law of the University of Latvia, the Latvian EU Law Association and several law firms.

The Latvian Law Institute is an independent, non-political, non-governmental non-profit association, which has united people with a shared interest in Latvian law and its development. 

 

Information prepared by Iveta Jaudzema, Communication specialist of the Supreme Court of Latvia

E-mail: iveta.jaudzema@at.gov.lv; tel.: +371 67020362