US report slams Latvian justice system

RIGA - Latvia's judges may be independent, but they are poorly trained, inefficient and possibly corrupt, according to a new report from the U.S. State Department.

Its 1999 report on Human Rights Practices, released on Feb. 25, once again pointed the finger at a judicial system that has been mired in scandal for several months.

It suggested corruption in the judicial system is reportedly widespread based on past developments in high-profile cases like Banka Baltija.

Alexander Lavent, the bank's former chair, along with two other ex-officials, are currently on trial for allegedly causing the collapse of the largest bank in Latvia, which created a financial crisis in 1995.

The report said the judge appointed to preside over Lavent's case in 1997 resigned, citing alleged political pressure from the government after the court placed the defendant under house arrest following a heart attack he suffered in court.

Last fall, Judge Inara Steinerte, the third judge to preside over Lavent's trial, was removed from the case by one of the legal assessors.

That decision was subsequently overturned on Feb. 24.

"Most judges have inadequate judicial training, and the court system is too weak to enforce many of its decisions," said the report. "A major difficulty in enforcing court decisions is the lack of an effective bailiff or sheriff system."

It did mention that last April a criminal law went into effect that allows for more alternative punishments, including community service.

The decisions of the court are not very accessible to the public, according to the report, since each court decision is not published systematically; there is not a centralized index for those decisions that are published.

The U.S. report criticized more than Latvia's judiciary: It also said that the widespread sexual harassment of women in the workplace is reportedly common.

However, women, on account of "cultural factors", tend to be discouraged from publicly reporting their complaints of abuse, whether at work or in the home.

"Women who are victims of abuse often seem to be uninformed about their rights and reluctant to seek redress through their justice system," said the report.

"Human rights groups assert that the legal system, including the courts, tends to downplay the seriousness of domestic violence and that the police are sometimes reluctant to make arrests in such cases."

The report said that adult and child prostitution are widespread, often connected to organized crime, and aided by poor economic conditions.

It said unofficial figures suggest that 10,000 to 15,000 people work as prostitutes in Riga and those numbers are increasing, but there are no state institutions to assist prostitutes.

Meanwhile, trafficking in women, including minors, for prostitution abroad has also increased, although Latvia is primarily a source or transit country than a destination.