Submitted by Louise on
This report is part of CRIN's access to justice for children project, looking at the status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in national law, the status of children involved in legal proceedings, the legal means to challenge violations of children’s rights and the practical considerations involved in challenging violations.
The Convention on the Rights of the Child takes precedence over national law and is directly enforceable in court. All levels of the judiciary regularly refer to the CRC when ruling on cases relating to a child. Furthermore, the CRC has been, for most parts, incorporated into Latvian law. Generally, cases involving children need to be brought by a parent or representative. There are no children-specific courts in Latvia. Children would go to the regular civil, criminal or administrative court, unless the case relates to guardianship issues or conflicts with parents, over which the 'Orphan Court' has jurisdiction. Special provisions exist to protect the privavy of child victims witnesses and offenders.
