Recognizing the importance of qualified legal professionals in the judiciary, on October 31 the Supreme Court of Latvia organized an informative event for first-year law students from the University of Latvia, which was attended by approximately 50 future lawyers. The aim of the event was to give the students an opportunity to learn about the work of the Supreme Court, the available legal resources, and the possibilities for using Senate’s rulings in research.

Aigars Strupišs, President of the Supreme Court and the Judicial Council, gave the students an overview of the Latvian court system, the types of cases heard by the courts, the functions of the Supreme Court, the process of appealing decisions, and the specifics of the positions of judicial assistant and judge. The students were interested in issues related to the remuneration of judicial assistants — they asked whether there have been any changes in this area and whether the situation has improved following the recent European Commission report.

Anita Zikmane, Head of the Division of Case-law and Research, spoke about the availability of Senate’s rulings and other useful resources on the Supreme Court website. She highlighted the possibilities of using the Senate's archive of case-law rulings, compilations of case-law, and historical materials. Anita Zikmane encouraged the students to first assess the amount of information available when choosing research topics, as some cases are examined in closed hearings and in such cases the rulings may not be available for research. At the same time, she emphasized that, overall, the resources available on the Supreme Court website are extensive and sufficient to effectively complement the study process with an analysis of judicial practice.

Elīna Grigore-Bāra, Advisor to the Division of Case-law and Research, shared her experience on where and how to look for sources of law – in judgments, laws and regulations, and scientific literature. She emphasized that it is precisely through court rulings that it is possible to observe the development of the legal system, as well as to see how it is influenced by geopolitical processes, even if the legal norms do not change formally. At the end of the discussion, Elīna Grigore-Bāra introduced the students to specific Senate’s rulings in which the interpretation of the applicable legal norms was analyzed.

At the conclusion of the event, the students visited the Supreme Court Museum and took a tour of the Palace of Justice.

In order to broaden the understanding and interest of future lawyers in the Latvian court system and to provide insight into one of the most interesting and, at the same time, most demanding legal professions, namely that of a judge, the Supreme Court has been organizing the Days First-Year Students since 2009. Following the event, students continue to take the opportunity to obtain useful information for their studies at the Supreme Court and attend court hearings.

 

Baiba Kataja, Communication specialist of the Supreme Court

Telephone: +371 67020396; e-mail: baiba.kataja@at.gov.lv