On the 13th of November, members of the Saeima (Parliament) will have to decide whether to grant permission to initiate criminal prosecution against Riga District Court judge Inese Siliņeviča, the LETA news agency has learned.
The issue was discussed in a closed session of the Saeima’s Legal Affairs Committee on Thursday. The committee’s chairman, Andrejs Judins (New Unity), declined to provide further details to LETA regarding the allegations against the judge, emphasizing that he had signed a confidentiality agreement prohibiting disclosure of the information.
According to information obtained by Latvian Television’s program Panorāma, Siliņeviča may be involved in a case concerning abuse of office and the fictitious employment of court staff in the court’s archive.
Judge Siliņeviča has presided over several high-profile cases, including one related to Latvenergo and another concerning bribery at the Riga Central Market.
In April 2002, the Saeima appointed Siliņeviča, and in April 2005 confirmed her as a judge of the Riga District Court. In December 2003, she was assigned to perform the duties of Deputy Chairperson of the Riga District Court, and in July 2005 she was officially appointed to that position.
From October 2008, she served as Chairperson of the Riga District Court for 15 years.
For her contribution to the development of Latvia’s judicial system, Siliņeviča was awarded the First-Class Certificate of Recognition and a “Golden Pen” by the Ministry of Justice, as well as the Third-Class Badge of Honor of the Judicial System for exemplary and conscientious service, significant contribution to the judiciary, and the Letter of Appreciation from the Ministry of Justice for her role in judicial reform.
According to her 2024 public official’s declaration, Siliņeviča continued to work as a judge, earning over €53,000 in salary during the year, plus a few thousand euros from property rentals. At the end of 2024, her financial liabilities amounted to around €115,000, while she herself had loaned out €30,000. At that time, she held no savings exceeding 20 times the minimum monthly wage.
The Saeima must make the decision to authorize the initiation of criminal prosecution during a plenary session.
According to the Law on Judicial Power, a judge may be held criminally liable or detained only with the consent of the Saeima.
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