On Tuesday, 15 September, the amendments to the Cabinet Regulations No. 42 “By-laws of the Council for Prevention of Crime”, adopted on 20 January 2004, prepared by the Ministry of Justice, were approved during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers. Amendments were prepared with a purpose to facilitate uniform and more effective coordination between authorities for prevention of crime.
Jānis Bordāns, Deputy Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice: “Expansion of targets, functions and composition of the Council is not an end in itself. Effective activities is the target. On this issue me and the Prime Minister share the same opinion. Therefore, we perform these changes in order the results would follow.”
Amendments expand the competence of the Council for Prevention of Crime (hereinafter referred to as - the Council), determining strengthening of the rule of law as one of the targets of activity, identifies the most important areas of activity - combating of corruption and organized crime, and provides a new function of the Council - to ensure cooperation between the executive power and judicial power.
The Ministry of Justice emphasizes that previously, in the context of prevention and combating of crime, the corruption was, inter alia, mentioned in targets of the Council, now it is underlined in the by-laws of the Council - further on right the issues of combating of corruption and organised crime will be the priority of the issues to be settled by the Council.
Jānis Bordāns: “The Council for Prevention of Crime operates in Latvia already since 2004, but so far its role in settlement of the issues of rule of law and corruption has been insignificant. The Council should achieve that the responsible authorities start to work efficiently.”
Besides, the amendments expand the composition of the Council, including the representative delegated by the President, ministers of foreign affairs and defence, the head of the National Security Service, the Director General of the State Revenue Service, the Head of the State Police and Director of the Constitution Protection Bureau.