The Judicial Council has announced a renewed competition for the position of Prosecutor General. This time, applications can be submitted until the 1st of September.
Candidates for the position are expected to meet the requirements set by the Prosecutor’s Office Law and the Law on State Secrets. Specific provisions in the Prosecutor’s Office Law stipulate that candidates must be Latvian citizens at least 40 years of age, fluent in the official language at the highest level, hold a higher education degree and legal qualification, and have an impeccable reputation.
In addition, candidates must have at least five years of experience serving as a judge of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, an international court, or a supranational court; or at least 10 years working as a judge of a regional court, a chief prosecutor, or a prosecutor in a regional or the General Prosecutor’s Office; or a total of 15 years of combined experience as a judge or prosecutor.
Applicants must submit a motivated letter of application and a concept for the development of the Prosecutor’s Office, outlining their vision for the future operation and advancement of the institution. If a candidate is applying for a second term, the concept must include an evaluation of what was achieved during the previous term.
As previously reported, the General Prosecutor’s Office is currently without a Prosecutor General,
as the term of office for the previous head, Juris Stukāns, ended on the 11th of July. A new Prosecutor General could not be selected during the initial competition held earlier this spring.
Until a new Prosecutor General is appointed, the position is temporarily being filled by Chief Prosecutor Arvīds Kalniņš.
A new Prosecutor General has not been selected yet, as none of the three candidates in the first round received the Judicial Council’s support or were nominated for approval by the Saeima. Instead, the Council decided to launch a new competition.
The initial candidates for the position were: Juris Stukāns (then incumbent), Uvis Kozlovskis, a prosecutor at the General Prosecutor’s Office’s Department for Operational Oversight and International Cooperation, Aivars Ostapko, Chief Prosecutor in the same department.
On the 11th of June, the Judicial Council decided to open a new competition for the post.
This decision was made because none of the three candidates received the required number of votes. However, none of the original candidates are barred from reapplying.
Council Chairman Aigars Strupišs explained at the time that nearly all council members acknowledged Stukāns’ concept for the Prosecutor’s Office was professionally much stronger than those of the other two candidates, whose proposals were very general and vague. Nevertheless, Stukāns did not secure a majority, as “other factors came into play as to why he did not receive the necessary number of votes.”
Stukāns has not yet commented on whether he will reapply for the position. Kozlovskis told the LETA news agency he will not participate in the second round. Ostapko, on the other hand, is considering reapplying.
Armīns Meisters, Chief Prosecutor of the Riga Regional Court’s Prosecutor’s Office, is also considering entering the race. In addition, Juris Juriss, a judge of the Constitutional Court and former prosecutor, is evaluating the possibility of applying.
Former Chairman of the Criminal Court Chamber of the Riga Regional Court, Stukāns was unanimously approved as Prosecutor General by the Saeima on the 18th of June, 2020.
According to the Prosecutor’s Office Law, the Prosecutor General is appointed by the Saeima for a five-year term upon the proposal of the Judicial Council. The same person may serve no more than two consecutive terms.
Read also: BNN IN FOCUS | Is the state planning to sell off the “people’s wealth”? Stock market plans raise concerns