Secretariat of the Judicial Council

The Judicial Council is a collegial authority, which is involved in elaborating the judicial system’s policy and strategy, as well as in improving the judicial system’s work organization. 

The establishment of the Judicial Council is laid down in the law “On Judicial Power”, thus by amendments of June 3, 2010 adding chapter 13¹ “The Judicial Council” to the law. These amendments came into force on August 1, 2010.  

According to Section 89¹⁰ of the law “On Judicial Power”, the work of the Judicial Council is ensured by the Secretariat of the Judicial Council, which is a structural unit of the Supreme Court. The Secretariat was established in 2017 as a separate structural unit. Until then, the operation of the Judicial Council was ensured by the Supreme Court Administration.

Functions of the Secretariat of the Judicial Council:

• Ensuring the conduct of sittings of the Judicial Council;

• Preparing issues for consideration at Judicial Council sittings;

• Preparing draft decisions, opinions, resolutions and other documents;

• Managing office work of the Judicial Council;

• Organizing Latvian Judges’ Conference in cooperation with the Court Administration;

• Developing and improving organizational guidelines for the operation of the judicial system, internal and external regulatory acts;

• Conducting research on topical issues;

• Ensuring the work of the Working Group for Court Efficiency established by the Judicial Council;

• Ensuring the Judicial Council's communication with the public and the media;

• Ensuring the international cooperation of the Judicial Council, including with the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) and the European Commission;

• Representation of the Judicial Council in cooperation with state and local government institutions, self-governing institutions of the judiciary, as well as international organizations.

Website of the Judicial Council: https://www.tieslietupadome.lv