Latvia

The following Justice Initiative projects are underway in, or relevant to, Latvia:

National Criminal Justice Reform

Latvia: Promoting Bail in Place of Pretrial Detention
The main objective of the project is to assist the Latvian criminal justice system in reducing the number of people held in pretrial detention and shortening the period of detention, so that its use is limited to situations prescribed by international standards—i.e., where there exists a danger of the accused absconding, interfering with the course of justice or committing a serious offence. The project will further review the suitability of bail as a possible alternative in some cases where pretrial detention is currently used.

Latvia: Exploring Alternatives to Pre-Trial Detention
A recent survey of the Latvian judicial system by the Open Society Foundation Latvia and the Open Society Justice Initiative has revealed that too little attention is given to alternatives to pretrial detention for accused persons. As a result many spend months and even years incarcerated awaiting trial, writes Martin Schönteich.