Kõve in Latvia: Three-tier court system helps to unify court rulings

TALLINN - Speaking at a conference in Riga celebrating the 30th anniversary of the restoration of the Supreme Court of Latvia and the 75th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights, Estonian Chief Justice Villu Kõve stated that a three-tier court system helps unify the content of judicial decisions.

The main theme of the jubilee conference was a key guarantee of human rights protection: the right to a fair trial. Panel discussions focused on how to ensure the independence and impartiality of courts in an era where democratic values are under threat. The agenda also covered various aspects of procedural law, the reasoning behind court decisions, the public nature of court proceedings, access to case materials, and the media's influence on judicial activities.

In his presentation, Chief Justice Villu Kõve spoke about ensuring uniform judicial practice, using Estonia as an example. According to Kõve, the unification of the content of court rulings is aided by the three-tier court system and the fact that, unlike in many other countries, Estonia has only one court of the highest instance. In cases of conflicting views, a case can be heard by the full panel of a chamber and, if necessary, by the Supreme Court en banc, which includes all 19 justices.

"It is also possible to resolve conflicts in a special panel and to form court panels with members from different chambers if the issue concerns multiple areas of law. The unification of practice is also facilitated, for example, by ensuring good accessibility of Supreme Court decisions and opinions, and by the continuous organization of training and roundtables for judges," Kõve explained.

The Supreme Court of Latvia organized the jubilee conference in cooperation with the European Court of Human Rights. Besides Latvian judges and officials, the event featured current and former judges of the European Court of Human Rights, as well as representatives from the highest courts of Estonia, Lithuania, Finland, and Sweden.