Ministry of Justice under Smiltēns sets three priority directions

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) under Edvards Smiltēns (AS) has defined three main directions: assistance for people in drone incidents, strengthening the judicial system, and support for Ukraine.

The MoJ has started work on regulations determining state compensation for damages caused by drone incidents or similar situations in peacetime. Smiltēns emphasizes that people should feel clear state support in such cases, and the process must not be complicated. Meanwhile, controls are needed to prevent fraud.

The second direction is judicial system strengthening. The MoJ continues to push amendments to the Law on Judicial Power, aiming to improve court organization and independence. Plans include introducing a court lawyer model to support judges in case preparation, and eliminating 40 long-vacant judge positions. Importantly, the Minister of Justice would no longer decide on judge career matters – this power would be transferred to the Judicial Council. The Court Administration will work more closely with the Judicial Council on personnel, budget, and work organization. These changes are intended to speed up and improve court work, and to prepare the next generation of judges as many approach retirement. The draft law has been submitted to the Saeima Legal Committee.

The third direction is support for Ukraine. The MoJ will continue to help Ukraine draft necessary legislation and improve its judicial system on the path to the European Union. At the same time, Ukraine's crisis preparedness experience will be studied to strengthen Latvia's judicial system resilience. Another issue is finding clear solutions for the legal status of Ukrainian civilians in Latvia, especially those who have learned Latvian and integrated.

These three directions were chosen following the Prime Minister's call for ministers to identify three tasks to accomplish during the government's term.