Case No 2006-03-0106

Applicant: 8.Saeimas deputāti: Vladimirs Buzajevs, Juris Sokolovskis, Nikolajs Kabanovs, Andris Tolmačovs, Andrejs Aleksejevs, Valērijs Agešins, Boriss Cilevičs, Aleksandrs Bartaševičs, Aleksandrs Golubovs, Oļegs Deņisovs, Igors Solovjovs, Sergejs Fjodorovs, Martijans Bekasovs, Vitālijs Orlovs, Andrejs Klementjevs, Jānis Jurkāns, Ivans Ribakovs, Jānis Urbanovičs, Jakovs Pliners un Aleksejs Vidavskis
Date of the judgment: 23.11.2006.
Official publication: 01.12.2006.

On the Compliance of the Words ”or other means” and ”as well as orally expressed various addresses, slogans or speeches" in Section 1(4) , Section 9(1), the words "keepers of public order" in Para 1 Section 12(3), the words "and pedestrians" of Section 13(2), the second sentence in Section 14(6), the words "not earlier than 10 days" of Section 15(4), Section 16 and Section 18(4) of Law On Meetings, Processions and Pickets 4 with Article 103 of the Republic of Latvia Satversme, Article 11 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as well as with Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Case short name: The Permission to Exercise the Freedom of Assembly

Constitutional Court ruled:
1. To declare words ” or other attributes” and ”or addresses”, which are incorporated into Section 1, Paragraph 4 of the Law ”On Meetings, Processions and Pickets” as well as the words ”and pedestrians”, included in Section 13, Paragraph 3 as conformable with Section 103 of the Republic of Latvia Satversme, Section 11 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and Section 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
2. To declare the words ”as well as verbally expressed separate slogans, exclamations”, which are included in Section 1, Paragraph 4; Paragraph 1 of Section 9; the words ”keepers of public order”, which are included in Section 12, Paragraph 3, Item 1; the second sentence of Section 14, Paragraph 6 and Paragraph 4 of Section 18 of the Law ”On Meetings, Processions and Pickets” as unconformable with Section 103 of the Republic of Latvia Satversme, Section 11 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms as well as with Section 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and null and void as of the moment of publishing of the Judgment.
3. To declare the words ”not earlier than 10 days and not later than 48 hours before the beginning of the activity”, which are incorporated into Section 15, Paragraph 4 of the Law ”On Meetings, Processions and Pickets” as unconformable with Section 103 of the Republic of Latvia Satversme if being read in conjunction with Section 92 of the Republic of Latvia Satversme and null and void from the moment of publishing of the Judgment.
4. To declare Sections 15 and 17 of the Law ”On Meetings, Processions and Pickets” as unconformable with Section 103 of the Republic of Latvia Satversme, Section 11 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and Section 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and null and void from June 1, 2007.
5. To determine that till June 1, 2007 the norms of Chapter III of the Law ”On Meetings, Processions and Pickets” shall be applied in accordance with Section 103 of the Republic of Latvia Satversme.

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