On 13 October 2026, President Edgars Rinkēvičs referred back to the Saeima for a second review the Law “Amendments to the Law on Administrative Liability”, which was adopted by the Saeima on 8 October 2026.
When the relevant draft law was considered at its third reading, several proposals that had previously received support from the Saeima committee responsible for the draft law were not approved in the plenary session. On these points, the Saeima reverted to the version of the draft law approved at the second reading. “There is no doubt as to the Saeima’s right to decide contrary to the responsible committee, which has worked on the draft law and prepared specific proposals for consideration. This is a matter of the Saeima making a fundamental decision. However, in this case, such a vote has led to the adoption of a law with significant shortcomings that need to be rectified through a second review of the law,” the President states in the letter to Speaker of the Saeima Daiga Mieriņa.
In his letter, the President draws attention to shortcomings in the proposed amendments to the transitional provisions of the Law on Administrative Liability. Specifically, the version of the Law adopted on 8 October this year includes a provision that duplicates a transitional provision already in force, while another provision refers to amendments to the Law on Administrative Liability that were not approved by the Saeima at the final reading.
The President also calls on the legislature to consider whether abandoning specific provisions governing the payment of reduced fines is in the interests of the state and society and helps to achieve more fully the purpose of the Law on Administrative Liability – to protect the existing legal order, including the lawful interests of society, the established administrative procedures and public order, and, while respecting fundamental rights, to ensure effective administrative offence proceedings and achieve a fair resolution of legal relations.
Accordingly, pursuant to Article 71 of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia, the President requests the second review of the Law “Amendments to the Law on Administrative Liability”.