Professor Emmert Visits Latvian Law Institute
05/22/2023
Professor Frank Emmert, the director of the Center for International and Comparative Law at IU McKinney, was recently invited by the Latvian Law Institute to make a presentation and visit the Supreme Court of Latvia.
The Latvian Law Institute is an independent, non-political, non-governmental, and non-profit association dedicated to the development of Latvian law and rule of law within the European Union and the international community of states. The institute pursues its mission, inter alia, by bringing distinguished academics from around the world to Latvia for meetings with local leaders in the profession. Professor Emmert was asked to speak for two hours about the challenges posed by Blockchain technology and digital currencies to modern legal systems. More than 50 participants subsequently engaged with him in a lively discussion and numerous professional contacts were established.
Professor Emmert and representatives of the institute and Latvian Bar then walked across the street to the Latvian Supreme Court to meet with Justices Dzintra Amerika, Kaspars Balodis, and Erlens Kalnins, as well as Analytic Adviser Janis Geks. The Supreme Court is the third instance and highest court for civil, criminal, and administrative law cases in Latvia, and only lawyers of the highest distinction are considered for lifetime appointments. The visit concluded with a tour of the Supreme Court building and its museum, which houses documents and exhibits reminding of the fascinating history of Latvia and its courts and lawyers from 1918 to the present, including many years of involuntary participation in the Soviet legal system.
In the photo, Professor Emmert, second from left, visits with members of the Supreme Court in Latvia.
