The Cabinet of Ministers changes the procedure for the state unified lawyer qualification examination

The Cabinet of Ministers has adopted amendments to the procedure for the state unified professional qualification examination for lawyers. This was officially announced in Latvijas Vēstnesis on September 28, 2026, in issue No. 186 (OP 2026/186), in the “Cabinet of Ministers” section under item number 3. The amendments were made by Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 570, titled “Amendments to Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 46 of January 15, 2019, ‘Procedure for the State Unified Professional Qualification Examination for Lawyers’”.

The amendments do not create a new examination procedure but improve the existing regulation — Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 46 of January 15, 2019. These regulations determine the procedure for the state unified professional qualification examination for lawyers, and their scope applies to candidates for the position of lawyer. The issuing body is the Cabinet of Ministers, and the act was published in the official publication of the Republic of Latvia.

Subject of the Amendments and Official References

• Amending act: Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 570.
• Act being amended: Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 46 of January 15, 2019, “Procedure for the State Unified Professional Qualification Examination for Lawyers”.
• Issuing body: Cabinet of Ministers.
• Publication: Latvijas Vēstnesis, September 28, 2026, No. 186, OP 2026/186.
• Public reference to the issue: https://www.vestnesis.lv/url/16986?content=1

To Whom the Amendments are Relevant

The state unified professional qualification examination for lawyers is a state-level assessment that must be passed by candidates for the position of lawyer. Since the amendments affect the examination procedure itself, they apply to everyone who is taking or planning to take the examination. In practice, this means that before applying for the exam, candidates must check the current version of the effective procedure.

Context Published in the Same Issue

• Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 571 — regarding the declaration of Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 799 of November 27, 2007, “Statutes of the Advisory Council on Insolvency Issues,” as having expired.
• Cabinet of Ministers Order No. 575 — regarding the approval of the project passport and development plan for measure 1.3.1.1 of specific support objective 1.3.1 of the European Union cohesion policy program for 2021–2027.
• Saeima announcement regarding the appointment of Annija Mazapša as a district (city) court judge.
• Saeima announcement regarding the immediate cessation of the import of grains from the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus into Latvia, including in transit through Latvia.

Where to find the full text

The notice of amendments is included in the issue’s content, and the full text of the regulations can be found in the same official publication. The act is identifiable by its number — Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 570 — and by the issue identifier OP 2026/186. An additional reference is the publication address of the issue on the Latvijas Vēstnesis website.

Amendments to the procedure for the lawyer’s qualification exam are essential for anyone aspiring to a legal position: the exam conditions are not static and are specified by the Cabinet of Ministers. Since the exam is a prerequisite for professional legal work, changes directly affect the candidates’ preparation and application planning. Following the official publication in Latvijas Vēstnesis is the safest way to ensure the current procedure is known.

Official source: Latvijas Vēstnesis, September 28, 2026, No. 186 (OP 2026/186), section “Cabinet of Ministers”, 3rd notice; Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 570 “Amendments to the Cabinet of Ministers Regulations No. 46 of January 15, 2019 ‘Procedure for the Unified State Professional Qualification Examination for Lawyers’”. Publication: https://www.vestnesis.lv/url/16986?content=1