On Thursday, 20 March, the Saeima adopted in final reading amendments to the law drafted by the Ministry of Justice, which stipulate that from now on institutions of the Member States that have ratified the Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters will not be able to submit requests for legal assistance in Russian in Latvia. The law maintains the possibility for the competent authorities of the Member States to submit documents in Latvian, English or French.
The Ministry of Justice stresses that the changes in the law are related to the geopolitical situation in the world and the common position of the international community in the light of the aggressive invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and its gross violations of international law and obligations.
With the draft law, Latvia is fulfilling its obligations as a member of the Hague Conference on Private International Law. It should be noted that the Hague Convention of 18 March 1970 on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil or Commercial Matters is one of the most widely applied conventions internationally and simplifies and speeds up cooperation between courts in taking evidence.
The draft law sets a deadline for the entry into force of the general procedure: it enters into force 14 days after its promulgation.