Two years in office for the Minister of Justice: strengthening security and justice – Inese Lībiņa-Egnere’s main priority

On Monday, September 15, it marked two years since Inese Lībiņa-Egnere was appointed Minister of Justice in Prime Minister Evika Siliņa's government. During this time, under the Minister of Justice's leadership, significant and far-reaching reforms have been implemented to strengthen the security of the state and its citizens, enhance human rights protection, reduce bureaucratic burdens for both residents and businesses, and improve Latvia's investment environment.

Minister of Justice Inese Lībiņa-Egnere emphasizes: "My absolute priority as Minister of Justice has been Latvia's legal security - ensuring that the justice system can adapt to new circumstances, respond promptly to potential threats, and deliver effective justice. This applies both to individuals and businesses, as well as to Latvia's legal investment environment as a whole. The progress in strengthening the rule of law has also received positive international recognition - in these two years, Latvia has moved up two places in the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, currently ranking 21st out of 142 countries."

Equally important for the Minister of Justice has been fostering trust in the rule of law, democracy, and state institutions. "It is crucial that we remain united despite our differences - when people see that the state respects their rights, provides assistance, and simplifies bureaucratic processes, they are more willing to cooperate, rely on official information, and face challenges with confidence. Therefore, the Ministry of Justice will continue the ongoing reforms to remove bureaucratic obstacles and enhance efficiency in the administration of justice," explains Inese Lībiņa-Egnere.

State security

Under the Minister of Justice's leadership, a criminal penalties reform has been implemented to strengthen state security. Harsher penalties have been established for crimes threatening national security and sovereignty. Assistance to a foreign state against Latvia now carries a sentence of up to 10 years, evasion of mobilization up to 1 year, and for reserve soldiers or members of the National Guard up to 3 years. Investigators, prosecutors, and judges handling classified information must now obtain special clearance, ensuring that only trustworthy and responsible professionals handle sensitive information.

To further protect state and public security, the participation of vehicles registered in Belarus and Russia in road traffic has been prohibited, and citizens of these countries are banned from purchasing real estate in Latvia.

In response to hybrid threats, state language proficiency tests for teachers transitioning to instruction in Latvian will be implemented from September 2025 to promote a unified education space and strengthen societal cohesion.

To foster professional growth in the justice sector, the Justice Academy began operations in January this year, providing a new training platform for judges, prosecutors, and investigators to enhance their knowledge, including in hybrid threat prevention and combating violence.

Additionally, the newly constructed, state-of-the-art prison in Liepāja, commissioned in August, is the most modern in the Baltic and Nordic region, offering high security and rehabilitation opportunities, reducing recidivism, and introducing a significantly higher standard in Latvia's penal system. Budget allocations have also enabled substantial salary increases for Prison Administration staff to support effective inmate rehabilitation.

Condemning Russia's full-scale war of aggression in Ukraine and supporting Ukraine, the Ministry of Justice continues working nationally and internationally to isolate Russia, strengthen the international sanctions regime, establish a compensation mechanism for victims, and advocate for the creation of a special tribunal to prosecute those responsible for Russia's war crimes in Ukraine. Latvia has provided financial and technical support to Ukrainian courts, participated in establishing the Ukraine Loss Register, contributed EUR 200,000 to the International Criminal Court budget and the Victims Fund, and increased contributions to EUR 150,000 for victims in 2025.

Human rights and social protections

Strengthening human rights and social protections in Latvia, the Ministry of Justice has increased accountability for violent crimes to combat domestic violence, established harsher penalties, and introduced criminal liability for cruelty and violence against relatives, regardless of the severity of harm, while ensuring effective protection for victims.

To protect citizens from sexual offenders and prevent recidivism, administrative liability for sexual harassment was introduced in Latvia from the end of November 2024.

Latvia has also implemented the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, which helps work both preventively and by providing targeted support to victims. This year, the Ministry of Justice expanded the state compensation system to include negligence-related offenses.

To ensure everyone's rights under the Constitution, Latvia has introduced a new legal form for registering cohabitation - partnership. Partnership provides legal, economic, and social protection to all couples, including same-sex partners, confirming their close personal relationship, shared household, and commitment to care for and support each other. Statistics show that in the first year, 613 partnerships were registered, including 235 same-sex couples and 378 different-sex couples.

Since January, inheritance procedures have been simplified and made more transparent, limiting heirs' liability toward the deceased's creditors, and clarifying that silence no longer constitutes acceptance if another party initiates inheritance proceedings with a notary.

Implementing one of the Minister of Justice's key priorities for 2025 - child-friendly justice - the Ministry of Justice is preparing amendments to the Civil Procedure and Notary Acts to reduce retraumatization in family disputes. Under the new system, parents will be able to sign agreements on custody, visitation rights, and child support. Such agreements in divorce cases will be notarized and directly enforceable like court judgments, preventing repeated, emotionally stressful court proceedings for children.

Mediation for families with children has also been promoted to help resolve disputes while protecting the child's interests. Mediation helps prevent escalation in court and encourages mutual understanding.

By improving the legal framework and through the work of the Maintenance Guarantee Fund, recovered funds from debtors have increased the amount of child support paid by the state. To strengthen work-life balance, since the end of 2024, board members of companies, like any other employee, can take childcare leave, thereby reinforcing family ties.

Reducing bureaucracy and improving the investment environment

Administrative burdens in real estate registration have been reduced, with a unified building registration service simplified for January 1, 2026. Residents will no longer need to visit multiple institutions or submit documents repeatedly, as data will be synchronized across state systems. Private homes can now be registered in the Cadastre based solely on documents, without an on-site inspection, making the process faster, simpler, and cheaper for residents and businesses.

To improve the investment climate and reduce administrative burdens for businesses, processes in the Register of Enterprises continue to be streamlined, allowing companies to start operations digitally. An SIA registration can now be completed in five minutes with automatically prepared documents, significantly simplifying the process and saving business owners time.

Last year's amendments to the Commercial Law also introduced a unique European-level option to pay share capital with cryptocurrencies, attracting new businesses, investments, and highly skilled professionals in the crypto-asset sector.

To encourage debtors to exit the "shadow economy," wage deductions have been reduced for almost a year, leaving more income for debtors. This change motivates people who, for various reasons, have fallen into debt to formalize income, leave the shadow economy, and address financial difficulties.

The Ministry of Justice and its agencies, supporting the investment climate, have actively participated in the Moneyval evaluation, enhancing international trust in Latvia's financial system and creating a more favorable environment for investment.

Under the leadership of the Minister of Justice, the Ministry plans to strengthen cooperation with Estonia and Lithuania on international legal order restoration issues, such as detailed coordination regarding Ukraine support measures, ensuring accountability for Russia, multilateral negotiations, and other matters.