CONFERENCE"With administrative justice, a legal state achieves its true formation."
With this quote from Professor Kārlis Dišlers, the European Law Students' Association in Latvia (ELSA Latvia) announced the first national-level administrative court trial simulation, organized in honor of the anniversary of the Administrative Procedure Law's entry into force in 2005. The initial concept developed so successfully that the organizers received applications from more than 30 student teams. After nearly a 10-year hiatus, the Administrative Law court trial simulation was held again in 2014.
The goal of the simulation is to offer students the opportunity to experience the atmosphere of a real court trial, both by preparing procedural document samples and defending their position in oral simulations, which are as close to an actual court process as possible. During the oral simulation part, participants are heard and take on the roles of judges, played by recognized legal experts in Latvia, professional lawyers, university lecturers, and judges.
In the 2016 simulation, the winners were students Artjoms Volaščuks and Toms Zariņš from Riga Stradiņš University, leaving the University of Latvia team of Līga Dāce and Laima Jakobson in second place.
The Special Prize of the Administrative Judges Association for the best knowledge of administrative procedure and administrative law was awarded to LU students Līga Dāce and Laima Jakobson. Artjoms Volaščuks was recognized as the Best Orator of the simulation.
Information about the students' achievements was published in the "Jurista Vārds" magazine on November 8, 2016, issue No. 45 (948).
In the 2015 simulation, the winners were University of Latvia's Faculty of Law students Dārta Freimane and Andra Gulbe. Andra Gulbe was also recognized as the Best Orator.
The most authoritative judge of the simulation was Agris Dreimanis. The Latvian Association of Administrative Judges awarded its Sympathy Prize, which was given to LU students Baiba Zvejniece and Miķelis Zumbergs.
Information about the students' achievements was published in the "Jurista Vārds" magazine on October 27, 2015.
A year after the adoption of the Administrative Procedure Law, representatives of ELSA Latvia concluded that Latvia needed specialists in administrative procedures who understood the new procedural rules and could competently participate in the work of the newly established administrative courts, both as judges and as representatives of the parties involved. As a result, ELSA Latvia representatives decided to organize administrative court trial simulations for law students from Latvian universities to promote the interest of future lawyers in administrative court processes, raise public awareness of current issues in administrative procedures, and facilitate the acquisition of necessary knowledge.
The simulation garnered unanimous attention from law students, and more than 30 team applications were received from the University of Latvia, as well as from the Business School "Turība" and Daugavpils University.
The preliminary rounds were held in the premises of the Administrative District and Regional Courts, while judges were played by administrative court judges and recognized legal authorities and faculty members, such as the Chair of the Administrative Regional Court Aldis Laviņš, the legal adviser to the Minister of Justice and lecturer at the University of Latvia's Faculty of Law Arvīds Dravnieks, the Vice-Dean of the University of Latvia's Faculty of Law Jānis Lazdiņš, as well as other judges and lawyers from law firms, the State Human Rights Office, the Constitutional Court, and other institutions.
After enduring the intense preliminary rounds and semifinals, with the stern judges and their countless tricky and provocative questions, two teams from the University of Latvia's Faculty of Law advanced to the final after fierce competition.
In the final, held in the University of Latvia's Small Hall, after exciting debates and a barrage of questions from a panel of nine judges, the winning team from the University of Latvia's Faculty of Law, represented by Marina Borkoveca, Uģis Lapiņš, and Mārtiņš Rudzītis, emerged victorious. This team also won the prize for the Best Written Work.
The second-place winners, Kalvis Vanags and Andris Kaņeps, were only one judge's vote behind the winners. Andris Kaņeps was recognized as the Best Orator by the court.
Information about the students' achievements was published in the "Jurista Vārds" magazine on May 31, 2005, issue No. 20 (375).
