Latvia
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- parliamentary democracy
- CONSTITUTION
- the constitutional law of 1991 integrated the 1922 Constitution
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- based on civil law with traces of socialist tradition
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- unicameral Parliament (Saeima)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Supreme Court, judges confirmed by Parliament; Constitutional Court, judges confirmed by Parliament.
RELIGIONS
Lutheran majority, Catholic, Orthodox, and Jewish minorities
From the country
- APRIL 26, 2000LatviaDEATH PENALTY
Latvia cosponsored and voted in favour of the resolution...
Latvia cosponsored and voted in favour of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 26 (no
- FEBRUARY 29, 2000LatviaDEATH PENALTY
Indulis Berzins, Minister of Foreign Affairs, praised...
Indulis Berzins, Minister of Foreign Affairs, praised the report on the human rights situation worldwide, including Latvia, made by the U
- JANUARY 1, 2000LatviaDEATH PENALTY
On April 15, 1999, Parliament (64-15) voted to abolish...
On April 15, 1999, Parliament (64-15) voted to abolish the death penalty
- DECEMBER 1, 1999LatviaDEATH PENALTY
In December, a poll by the private EMOR polling firm,...
In December, a poll by the private EMOR polling firm, showed support for capital punishment in Latvia as being 58 %
- JUNE 1, 1999LatviaDEATH PENALTY
On June 1, the country officially abolished the death...
On June 1, the country officially abolished the death penalty after the entry into force of the Protocol No
- APRIL 28, 1999LatviaDEATH PENALTY
Latvia was a cosponsor and voted in favor of the resolution...
Latvia was a cosponsor and voted in favor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- APRIL 15, 1999LatviaDEATH PENALTY
On April 15, Parliament (64-15) voted to abolish the...
On April 15, Parliament (64-15) voted to abolish the death penalty
- FEBRUARY 4, 1999LatviaDEATH PENALTY
On February 4, Parliament approved the first reading...
On February 4, Parliament approved the first reading of legislation on Protocol No
- JANUARY 6, 1999LatviaDEATH PENALTY
On January 6, the Latvian Parliament moved a step closer...
On January 6, the Latvian Parliament moved a step closer to abolishing capital punishment, just as the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence imposed on a convicted murderer
- JANUARY 1, 1999LatviaDEATH PENALTY
President Guntis Ulmanis imposed a moratorium on the...
President Guntis Ulmanis imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in 1996 but Parliament refused to scrap it entirely when it drew up a new Criminal Code, due to take effect in April of that year