Published: 19.01.2026.
The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia has always seen itself as part of the international legal order and the global community of constitutional courts. Therefore maintaining intensive international contacts with constitutional courts in Europe and other parts of the world – both bilaterally and multilaterally – is a matter of special importance to the Constitutional Court.
The regular exchange of opinions and experience with the constitutional courts in Europe is a special priority of the Constitutional Court. The Constitutional Court also makes an effort to maintain contacts with non-European constitutional courts.
The Constitutional Court maintains regular professional contacts not only with national but also with international courts. Engaging in dialogue with the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg is a matter of particular interest for the Constitutional Court, as it is crucial to secure a uniform interpretation and application of the European Convention on Human Rights. Close contacts with the Court of Justice of the European Union are equally important for the Constitutional Court. It is beyond any doubt that a uniform application of European Union law can only be guaranteed through cooperation between the Court of Justice in Luxembourg, on the one hand, and national constitutional courts, on the other hand.
The Constitutional Court has a productive cooperation with the European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) of the Council of Europe, which has been providing strong support for the Court. In 2000 Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia became a member of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts (CECC). In 2011 the Constitutional Court became an institutional member of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice (WCCJ). In 6 October 2022 the Constitutional Court was approved as part of the Bureau of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice.
The Constitutional Court also hosts conferences and seminars aimed at exchanging views and at dealing with issues related to the work of constitutional courts.
Representatives of the Constitutional Court participate in various bilateral and multilateral meetings, conferences and seminars on the issues of constitutional law and constitutional justice.
The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia seeks to foster international exchange by providing translations of a selection of its decisions, judgments and press releases into English.
The European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission) is the Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional matters. The role of the Venice Commission is to provide legal advice to its member states and, in particular, to help states wishing to bring their legal and institutional structures into line with European standards and international experience in the fields of democracy, human rights and the rule of law. It also helps to ensure the dissemination and consolidation of a common constitutional heritage, playing a unique role in conflict management, and provides “emergency constitutional aid” to states in transition.
The Commission has 61 member states: the 46 Council of Europe member states, plus 15 other countries. Its individual members are university professors of public and international law, supreme and constitutional court judges, members of national parliaments and a number of civil servants.
The Constitutional Court organizes, together with the Venice Commission, various international conferences and seminars which deal with the problems of constitutional jurisprudence in member states.
The Constitutional Court regularly prepares information for the Bulletin of Constitutional Case-Law, the official publication of the Venice Commission and contributes to studies published by the Venice Commission.
At the European level, the Conference of European Constitutional Courts, founded in 1972, has established itself as the most important European forum for the exchange of experience and opinions on constitutional issues among its full members. The activities of the Conference primarily serve to allow regular contacts among constitutional courts and to promote an exchange of experience on constitutional practice and jurisprudence within the framework of regular specialized congresses. The aim of the Conference is to enhance the independence of constitutional courts as an essential factor in guaranteeing and implementing democracy and the rule of law, in particular with a view to securing the protection of human rights.
The association currently numbers 40 European constitutional courts and other similar European institutions exercising constitutional jurisdiction. The Conference organizes regular specialized conferences with the aim of experience exchange with respect to constitutional practice and jurisprudence in the general European context.
The chairmanship of the Conference of European Constitutional Courts, rotating every three years, can only be held by a court that is a full member of the Conference. In the period from 2025 to 2028 the Conference is chaired by the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Albania.
The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia has been a full member of the Conference since 2000.
The World Conference on Constitutional Justice was founded in 2011 thanks to a highly commendable initiative of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe. The World Conference on Constitutional Justice unites over 100 constitutional courts, councils and supreme courts from Europe, America, Africa, Asia, Australia, and Oceania. The Conference’s agenda includes ensuring justice throughout the world, examining issues of constitutional review, development of democracy and protection of fundamental rights. The World Conference is the highest-level conference in the field of constitutional justice.
It promotes constitutional justice – understood as constitutional review including human rights case-law – as a key element for democracy, the protection of human rights and the rule of law.
The World Conference pursues its objectives through the organization of regular congresses, by participating in regional conferences and seminars, by promoting experiences and case-law and by offering good services to members on their request.
The main purpose of the World Conference is to facilitate judicial dialogue between constitutional judges on a global scale.
The Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia has been a full member of the World Conference since 2011.
In 6 October 2022 the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia was approved as part of the Bureau of the World Conference on Constitutional Justice where it will represent the interests of the members of the Conference of the European Constitutional Courts.
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