Dr. Arina Melse, a leading researcher at the Baltic Human Rights Society made a presentation on 31st October 2019 at an annual conference devoted to human rights issues in Latvia which was organised by the Riga Graduate School of Law (RGSL) in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia. For the fourth consecutive year, Arina spoke about the newest rulings involving Latvia at the European Court of Human Rights.
Speakers at the conference included the President of the Constitutional Court and RGSL Professor Dr. Ineta Ziemele, Judge at the European Court of Human Rights and Associate Professor at the RGSL Dr. Mārtiņš Mits, the Latvian Representative before International Human Rights Organisations Kristīne Līce and the Head of the Supreme Court's Division of Case-law and Research Anita Zikmane. The conference was opened by the RGSL Rector Dr. Pietro Sullo.
The annual human rights conference has a recognized position among academic and professional events in Latvia. Those attending include representatives from various legal professions — judges from the Constitutional Court and courts of general jurisdiction and their assistants, prosecutors, attorneys at law, ministry officials, members of the Latvian Parliament and representatives from its Legal Affairs Office, representatives from the Ombudsman’s Office and non-governmental organisations and students.
The aim of the discussions at the conference is to provide an insight into current problems in applying the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms in Latvia, and promote an understanding of the causes of the problems and solutions for overcoming them by combining an academic and professional approach. The discussions were, therefore, aimed primarily at those whose professional activities are involved in ensuring that the Convention is observed, but the conference is also a useful source of information on current issues relating to the protection of human rights in Latvia.