Good morning!
Mr. President of the Supreme Court!
Madam President of the Constitutional Court!
Madam Minister of Justice!
Distinguished judges, and members of the judiciary!
I must admit that this is a special day for me as well, since it is the first time I find myself in a room with so many judges – such highly qualified legal professionals. And this makes the task of choosing the right words all the more challenging.
Nonetheless, I would like to begin by congratulating Mr Strupišs, as yesterday the Saeima reaffirmed your appointment to office. I believe that over the past five years you have already come to understand very well what this role entails – words of thanks are rare, criticism and reproach are abundant, and everyone will have a view on how you ought to act or decide. Yet I am confident that you will continue to carry out these responsibilities with integrity, adhering to the core principles of the judiciary – independence, principle, and honesty. My sincere congratulations, and I wish you a further five years marked by success, responsibility, and professional fulfilment.
Honourable judges!
As the name of your profession suggests – judge – your task is to render judgement. To deliver justice. But you are fully aware that the act of judging itself is not the most difficult part. The greatest challenge lies in finding the truth. Laws are nothing more than an agreement we, as a society, have made about how we wish to live. Your task is to listen to the perspectives of all parties involved and, putting emotions aside, assess how these different versions of truth align with this shared societal agreement.
The purpose of the court is not the court itself. The purpose of the court is not revenge. The true aim of the court is justice – uncovering the truth, restoring fairness. And justice is closely linked with security. In a just state, we must feel secure that we cannot be attacked without cause. In a just state, we can live without fear that what is important to us might be taken away arbitrarily. In a just Latvia, we can work and pursue our dreams – and not be afraid that someone may destroy them. In a just Latvia, we can and must believe in our own dreams.
A court in itself does not shield us from evil, envy, or resentment. But what it can do is ensure justice afterwards – showing the entire society that the law exists to be respected by all. Not because someone external demands it, but because we as a society have agreed to it. And it is precisely you who strengthen the legal consciousness within society.
Nonetheless, we must still recognise that the ability to defend oneself is not equal for all residents of Latvia. Defending one’s rights can be extremely costly. For many people in Latvia, access to justice remains out of reach. Yet access to justice is not merely a question of money. Quite often, people are simply unaware that they even have the right to go to court to defend their rights – that their problems can be resolved through legal means. That is why I firmly believe that one of the essential tasks we must all continue to work on is educating the public and improving access to the judiciary. And I do hope this will be one of the topics you will discuss today.
Another matter I wish to address today with you is the role of the judiciary amid the current situation both globally and nationally. War is raging in Europe. The international order as we have known it is changing. In which direction it will go, how it will all end, it seems no one can truly say. Latvia, too, is facing hybrid attacks – both against our national borders and against our state security as a whole. Although the legislature continues to improve the legal framework to strengthen our national resilience, the actions of the judiciary are no less important. It is the judiciary that ensures the intentions and decisions of the legislature to strengthen Latvia’s security are implemented effectively in practice. In a democratic state, the judiciary is independent and subject only to the law, but it is equally important that the decisions you take are delivered promptly and clearly communicated to the public.
Honourable judges!
It may seem that in an ideal society, there would be little need for the judiciary, the legislature, or the executive. Because in such a society, people would do no harm to one another. Disputes could be resolved through mutual agreement. There would be no malice. However, such a society, truthfully speaking, is called Paradise. In real life, as we well know, things are different. We are so different that we often see the same matters from vastly different perspectives. And at times, it is simply not possible to find common ground without assistance.
In anticipation of this conference, as I prepared for it, I asked myself what, in my view, constitutes an ideal judge? What qualities would make me place complete trust in a judge?
First and foremost – an impeccable reputation. This is, of course, a very broad concept. Where one may see an untarnished reputation, another may perceive flaws.
An ideal judge would not even allow friendship or hostility, personal sympathies or antipathies, to enter their courtroom. Yet in a country as small as Latvia, there inevitably comes a time, and I believe this reflects many of your experiences, when a judge is faced with people he has met before. And as we all know, such circumstances must in no way affect the ruling. Because there is the specific case and there is the specific law. And the law does not ask about motives. In an ideal world, and this is also in my ideal world, a judge always strives to uphold justice in its truest sense – even when they are the only one to whom it still matters.
Yet a truly ideal judge would never remain alone. Because the ideal judge is capable of explaining their decisions, and does so. Just as the operation of the law must be visible, so must the actions of a judge be transparent. That is the only way true justice works in society. An ideal judge understands that the time has passed when the judiciary would speak to the public solely through rulings and legal language. The ideal judge never dismisses questions from the public – no matter how naïve, misguided, or even foolish they may at first seem. Such a judge does not regard the public as mere “couch experts.” And it is entirely normal that not everyone is versed in the law, that some may lose their way – not just at a single fork in the road, but does not know the way at all. Because we, as members of society, are experts in many fields – areas in which neither you nor I are authorities. That is why we must all work together to communicate with our society and explain the decisions we make. An excellent judge allows people the right not to know – but does everything in their power to ensure that the essence of the matter is still made clear.
Nonetheless, we all understand that there is no such thing as a perfect person, nor a perfect judge. Everyone makes mistakes. And if someone claims otherwise, they are not quite telling the truth. A judge, like any member of society, must never lie. In fact, the acknowledgment of one’s own mistakes would only increase our collective trust in a highly qualified judge.
And finally – my ideal, the best kind of judge, also knows how not to work. Knows how to take a holiday, to do nothing, and not to speak about work. Because a good judge is a rested and motivated judge. And that matters – because a judge is a human being, not a superhuman.
I truly hope and believe that many of you recognised at least a part of yourselves in this description. But do not follow my ideals. Follow your own! Be honest with society. Be honest with one another. And most importantly – be honest with yourselves!
Honourable judges, and all those who are here today,
We do not live in an ideal Paradise, we all live in our Latvia. Yet each of us can make an effort to make Latvia stronger, safer, fairer, and more just. That task will always be with us, it is an eternal task, and you are an essential part of fulfilling it.
I wish you a fruitful and truly insightful conference. May you succeed today in the pursuit of justice and in reflecting on how best to communicate it to the public. And perhaps, just a little, as the weekend approaches – take the chance to step away from the everyday and breathe a little deeper!
Thank you and have a successful Judges’ Conference!
