DETAILS

Latvia - Central Authority & practical information

Central Authority(ies):

Ministry of Justice  

Contact details:

Address: Ministry of Justice
Brivibas blvd. 36
Riga, LV-1536
Latvia
Telephone: +371 6703 6824; +371 6703 6866; +371 6703 6812
Fax: +371 6721 0823
E-mail: tm.kanceleja@tm.gov.lv
General website: http://www.tm.gov.lv/en/
Contact person: Mrs Vineta Lecinska-Krutko
Languages spoken by staff: English, Russian, Latvian

Practical Information:

Forwarding authorities
(Art. 3(1)):		 The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Latvia
Methods of service
(Art. 5(1)(2)):		 Documents are received in the Central Authority and forwarded to the competent court of Latvia for the execution of the request.

In accordance with the Civil Procedure Law and according to the court's discretion, documents can be served using:

1) registered mail;
2) by registered mail with notification of receipt;
3) a court's courier;
4) by ordinary mail;
5) by electronic mail.
6) The court may summon a person to appear in court in order to serve documents in court.
7) It is possible for a party to the proceedings to serve judicial documents themselves to be performed if the court grants its approval.
8) Judicial documents shall be delivered by electronic mail, if a participant in the matter has notified the court that he or she agrees to use electronic mail for communication with the court.
9) The judicial documents may also be delivered to the workplace of the person. If the addressee is absent, the documents may be handed to the administration of the place of employment to be forwarded to the addressee.
10) In case of personal service of documents, if the addressee cannot be found in his/her place of residence, documents may be handed to an adult person met at the address indicated for service. 

Translation requirements
(Art. 5(3)):		 Translation is required if the addressee refuses to accept the document because the document is not prepared in the official language of Latvia (Latvian) or in a language that the addressee understands.

In such a case the document is returned to the requesting State to be translated either into Latvian or any other language that the addressee has specified. 

Costs relating to execution of the request for service
(Art. 12):		 Latvia may ask the competent foreign authority to reimburse the costs of service in case it has been effected using a particular method requested by the applicant (Article 5(1)b).
Time for execution of request: If the document cannot be served within one month from the receipt of the document in the Ministry of Justice of Latvia or within the time limit provided for in the request, the court to which the request has been forwarded to has to inform the Ministry of Justice about this fact as well as about the reasons that have delayed the service of the document.
Judicial officers, officials or other competent persons
(Art. 10(b)):		 None.
Oppositions and declarations
(Art. 21(2)):		 Click here to read all the declarations made by Latvia under the Service Convention.
Art. 8(2): Opposition
Art. 10(a): No opposition, but only if the documents are translated into Latvian and are delivered using a registered postal letter with an acknowledgment of receipt.
Art. 10(b): Opposition
Art. 10(c): Opposition
Art. 15(2): Declaration of applicability
Art. 16(3): No declaration of applicability
Derogatory channels (bilateral or multilateral agreements or internal law permitting other transmission channels)
(Arts. 11, 19, 24 and 25)

Disclaimer:
Information may not be complete or fully updated – please contact the relevant authorities to verify this information.

Bilateral conventions on judicial co-operation: Russian Federation; Belarus; Ukraine; Moldova; Uzbekistan; Kyrgystan. 

Council Regulation (EC) No 1393/2007 on the service in the Member States of judicial and extrajudicial documents in civil or commercial matters (Strasbourg, 13 November 2007) (European Judicial Atlas – Service of Documents).

Useful links: http://www.tm.gov.lv/lv/starptautiska-sadarbiba/tiesiska-sadarbiba-civillietas/vispariga-informacija-par-tiesisko-sadarbibu-civillietas

(This page was last updated on 21 July 2014)

Conventions (incl. Protocols and Principles)