The shortage of judges in Latvia has led to a notable increase in the expected standard time for case processing in courts, as announced by the Judicial Council. In a recent meeting, the council approved the standards for case processing timelines for the year 2026, addressing civil cases, criminal cases, administrative cases, and cases of administrative violations. These standards are based on statistical data from the previous year, adjustments in the number of judges, changes in legislation, and other essential factors.

The case processing timeline standards serve as a method to measure the efficiency of court operations and provide guidance to help courts organize their work effectively. However, they do not guarantee a specific duration for the processing of any given case, as actual timelines depend on various factors such as the complexity of the case, the actions of the parties involved, and the necessity of invoking procedural actions, which may include appeals to international and supranational courts.

This situation highlights the continuing challenges faced by the Latvian judicial system, particularly in light of insufficient judicial personnel to handle case loads adequately. The increases in processing times may impact access to justice for individuals and raise concerns regarding the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the legal system in Latvia, necessitating urgent reforms and possibly an increase in the number of judges to meet the growing demands.