The number of particularly serious crimes in Latvia increased by 19% last year, Prosecutor General Armins Meisters informed members of the Saeima Defence, Internal Affairs and Corruption Prevention Commission while presenting a report on the work of the Prosecutor’s Office of Latvia and its priorities for 2026.
Meisters explained that the rise in particularly serious crimes is largely due to property-related offences causing significant financial damage, as well as violent crimes committed against minors.
One of the main priorities for this year will be ensuring the quality of criminal proceedings. According to the report, the number of criminal cases accepted under prosecutors’ supervision continues to decline. In 2025, compared with 2024, this number decreased by 0.94%, while compared with 2023 it fell by 5.09%.
Meisters noted that prosecutors continue to actively use the possibility of terminating criminal proceedings when there is insufficient basis to continue them.
In 2025, 11,719 criminal cases were terminated, compared with 13,462 in 2024.
Meanwhile, 44% of criminal proceedings were completed within the prosecution service. Last year, 9,383 cases were concluded in the prosecutor’s office, compared with 9,811 in 2024. Of those cases completed by prosecutors, 89.1% were resolved through a prosecutor’s penal order, while in 2024 such decisions accounted for 87.1%.
Meisters also warned that the shortage of judges has reached a critical level, making it increasingly difficult to ensure court proceedings are completed within reasonable time limits. For this reason, the prosecution service plans to finalise more criminal cases at the prosecution stage, helping reduce the workload on the courts.
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