Today, on August 26, the Legal Commission of the Saeima rejected the proposals submitted by KPV LV and supported by the Minister of the Interior Sands Ģirģens for the improvement of the Economic Affairs Court (ELT). KPV LV advanced a number of proposals, including provisions on the substance of commercial disputes to the ELT, as well as the setting of a maximum time limit of one year for the delivery of judgments from the date of filing the application.
“During the Saeima commission, a representative of the Ministry of Justice commented that the deadlines for hearing the case are not a priority, which obviously contradicts the Government's declaration and the interests of the parties to the case. It is no secret that the long problem is the long length of proceedings. If the Economic Court is unable to deal with the claims quickly, the question arises: in which case, for what purpose was such a prophetic court set up? ” asks the Minister of the Interior Sandis Ģirģens.
The Minister of the Interior's concerns are reinforced by the opinion expressed by the Senator of the Civil Cases Department of the Supreme Court in the Legal Commission of the Saeima that the court system itself sees significant shortcomings in the establishment of such a court, including the insufficient number of judges. The senator noted that "it is not possible for ten judges to see both commercial disputes and voluminous criminal cases at the same time".
"We came up with a proposal to set a one-year deadline for the case to be heard in the Economic Court, but this proposal was rejected. At the Commission meeting, as an exception, we proposed extending this one-year term only if the parties agree on a settlement. I hope that someday the Ministry of Justice will be added to the Ministry of the Interior, optimizing processes, reducing bureaucratic burdens and streamlining the work of ministries. At the moment, unfortunately, we manage to face more "inability" than looking for solutions. If the arbitral tribunal can hear the case within a year, why can't the national court? ” continues the Minister.
The proposals of KPV LV and the Minister of the Interior S. Ģirģens regarding the waiver of the appellate instance in commercial disputes, as well as the fact that the court of cassation instance, by annulling the judgment of the Economic Court, could determine the part of the Economic Court time limits for legal proceedings.
Prepared:
Beata Jonite
Adviser to the Minister of the Interior
Communication issues
Mob .: 28351588
E-mail: beata.jonite@iem.gov.lv