On Friday, 18 October, the President of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) Koen Lenaerts visited the Ministry of Justice in order to discuss the current events of Latvia and the CJEU with Janis Bordans, the Minister of Justice.
During the meeting the Minister of Justice J.Bordans emphasized that there are many good professionals and academicians in Latvia, being able to represent the country on the EU level: “Although the Latvian education system still needs many improvements, our people is a great proof of the fact that not only highly qualified and skilful professionals of their field are prepared in Latvia, but their abilities are acknowledged and assessed also across the borders of the country. Latvia is now represented in the EU by professionals we can be proud of. Small countries have extremely broad possibilities and that is a big advantage of the European countries, which should be used, for example, when going to study abroad and getting experience that will be a big investment in Latvia, its people and common image of the country.”
At the same time, when discussing education in the science of law in Latvia, the minister emphasized that it is necessary to invest in new people, in order they would acquire the EU and international law already at the beginning of studies, as well as emphasized the big impact of foreign studies and practice on further professional career.
Within the framework of the discussion K.Lenaerts marked that the CJEU needs diverse, experienced people and right the small countries are those, where such people most often come from. Besides, the language skills and broad view, which, for example, is characteristic right to Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Slovenia, is an extremely important added value to the office of the judge in the Court of Justice of the European Union.
During the meeting the President of the CJEU, inter alia, praised the work of Latvian judges in the CJEU, as well as approved the Constitutional Court of Latvia chaired by Ineta Ziemele, observing the academic and professional achievements of I.Ziemele.