The President of the State has accepted the judges' oaths; personnel changes in the courts continue

On October 21, 2026, the official publication Latvijas Vēstnesis No. 203 published the Information of the President of the State “On the acceptance of the judges’ oath”. It is the first position in the release section “Constitutional Institutions”, under the heading “President of the State”. The official reference to the document is: OP 2026/203, No. 1.

The announcement confirms that the President of the State has accepted the oath from the judges who have entered office. Publication in the official gazette is the public and legal confirmation of the taking of the oath — without it, a judge does not perform their official duties.

The judge’s oath is stipulated in the law “On the Judiciary”: a judge, upon entering office, takes an oath, which is accepted by the President of the State. Therefore, each such announcement is not a formal notice, but rather the moment when a specific position in the court becomes effectively filled.

Subsequent acceptance of oaths in the autumn cycle

Similar announcements have already been published several times this year. On August 28, in issue No. 165, it was the first entry under the heading “President of the State” (OP 2026/165, No. 1), and on September 15 — the second entry with the expanded wording “On the acceptance of the judges’ oath (solemn promise)” (OP 2026/177, No. 2).

The October 21 publication continues this series and indicates that there is a continuous renewal of personnel in the court system, rather than a one-time campaign. The acceptance of the oath always follows a decision by the Saeima on the appointment of a specific person to the office of judge.

Personnel changes as a prerequisite for the oath

During the autumn session, the following Saeima announcement positions related to court personnel were recorded in the official publication:

• Aldis Černijs appointed as a district (city) court judge — OP 2026/180, No. 2 (September 18).
• Elīna Volika, judge of the Latgale District Court, released from the office of judge — OP 2026/176, No. 1 (September 14).
• Sarmīte Daukšte, judge of the Zemgale District Court, released from the office of judge — OP 2026/176, No. 2.
• Irina Freimane, judge of the Zemgale District Court, released from the office of judge — OP 2026/180, No. 8.
• Daina Treija, judge of the Riga Regional Court, released from the office of judge — OP 2026/190, No. 5 (October 2).

These data show that over the past two months, at least four judges have left office, while the number of new appointments is lower. It is precisely in this context that the acceptance of the oath gains practical significance — it is the only procedure that transforms a position into real working capacity.

Number of judges and case processing capacity

On October 2, the Saeima also announced the determination of the number of judges in the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia (OP 2026/190, No. 6) and in the district (city) courts and regional courts of the Republic of Latvia (OP 2026/190, No. 7). These decisions determine the total number of positions in the court system.

Taking the oath and determining the number of judges are two parts of the same chain: the first regulates how many judges may work, the second — how many of them are actually in office. If vacancies are not filled, the timeframes for hearing cases will increase even if the number of positions has not been formally reduced.

Why this is important for readers

A judge’s oath is a personal guarantee of judicial independence: the judge swears to obey only the law, not political or administrative influence. The public taking of the oath allows society to verify when and which judges have actually begun to perform their official duties.

The practical impact on readers is direct — specific civil, criminal, and administrative cases may end up with a different judge, and the course of the litigation may change. Therefore, the announcement OP 2026/203, No. 1, dated October 21, must be read together with the appointment and dismissal notices, rather than separately.

Official source: Latvijas Vēstnesis, October 21, 2026, No. 203, OP 2026/203, No. 1 — Information from the President of the State “On the taking of the judges’ oath” (https://www.vestnesis.lv/url/17006?content=1).