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Therefore constitution should be honoured as a document that we have adopted for ourselves, in order for us – our country and nation – to be able to lead happy lives and to develop.
The constitutional standards do not claim to be textually complete, because they cannot regulate everything.
Therefore there are rules, although not always they are precise.
But this relative “gap” is not left unnoticed.
The Constitution holds standards that provide limits to these as if unregulated matters.
The spirit of the state basic law – the highest values recognized by the nation – is revealed by the constitutional principles.
Some principles are included in standards expressis verbis, others are derived or follow a definite standard or principle, but others – from all constitutional regulations as a whole.
The Constitution should be understood as an inseparable entirety, and the standards included in it should be translated systemically.
The Constitution is not something that exists outside the real life and outside the society.
Also, if the state basic law remains unchanged, the ideas included in it may change along the time.
Such document may be recognized as contentually complete and current, only if it can be interpreted as a live document in regard to the particular time period.
Interpretation of the Constitution is open to the time spirit, it is directly related to reality, but we must be careful for it not to become subject to shortterm political ideas.
The basic law of our country is praised by those, who have read it, as well as by those, who have never read it, and by those, who have read it, but have not understood it.
But it is important not only to panegyrize it, but also to be able to live in accordance with it.
The meaning of Constitution in the society is characterized by respecting it, by following it and by adapting it.
Latvia has a beautiful State Constitution.
It includes the efforts of the nation of Latvia and its recognized values.
All of it has been expressed in a beautiful language, without excess words.
We can certainly place it in the seat of honour.
We can be proud of it.
Gunārs Kūtris, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia
Adopted by the Constitutional Assembly of Latvia on 15 February 1922
The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia
The people of Latvia, in freely elected Constitutional Assembly, have adopted the following State Constitution:
Chapter I
General Provisions
Latvia is an independent democratic republic.
The sovereign power of the State of Latvia is vested in the people of Latvia.
The territory of the State of Latvia, within the borders established by international agreements, consists of Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme and Zemgale.
The Latvian language is the official language in the Republic of Latvia.
The national flag of Latvia shall be red with a band of white.
Chapter II
The Saeima
The Saeima shall be composed of one hundred representatives of the people.
The Saeima shall be elected in general, equal and direct elections, and by secret ballot based on proportional representation.
In the division of Latvia into separate electoral districts, provision for the number of members of the Saeima to be elected from each district shall be proportional to the number of electors in each district.
All citizens of Latvia who enjoy full rights of citizenship and, who on election day have attained eighteen years of age shall be entitled to vote.
Any citizen of Latvia, who enjoys full rights of citizenship and, who is more than twentyone years of age on the first day of elections may be elected to the Saeima.
The Saeima shall be elected for a term of four years.
Elections for the Saeima shall be held on the first Saturday in October.
The newly elected Saeima shall hold its first sitting on the first Tuesday in November, when the mandate of the previous Saeima shall expire.
Should elections for the Saeima, by reason of the dissolution of the previous Saeima, be held at another time of the year, the Saeima so elected shall convene not later than one month after its election, and its mandate shall expire upon the convening of the new Saeima on the first Tuesday in November following the elapse of three years after such election.
Not less than one tenth of electors has the right to initiate a national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima.
If the majority of voters and at least two thirds of the number of the voters who participated in the last elections of the Saeima vote in the national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima, then the Saeima shall be deemed recalled.
The right to initiate a national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima may not be exercised one year after the convening of the Saeima and one year before the end of the term of office of the Saeima, during the last six months of the term of office of the President, as well as earlier than six months after the previous national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima.
The electors may not recall any individual member of the Saeima.
The Saeima shall hold its sittings in Rīga, and only in extraordinary circumstances may it convene elsewhere.
The Saeima shall elect a Presidium that shall be composed of a Chairperson, two Deputies and Secretaries.
The Presidium shall function continuously during the mandate of the Saeima.
The first sitting of the newly elected Saeima shall be opened by the Chairperson of the preceding Saeima or by another member of the Presidium at the direction of the Presidium.
The Saeima itself shall review the qualifications of its members.
A person elected to the Saeima shall acquire the mandate of a Member of the Saeima if such person gives the following solemn promise:
“I, upon assuming the duties of a Member of the Saeima, before the people of Latvia, do swear (solemnly promise) to be loyal to Latvia, to strengthen its sovereignty and the Latvian language as the only official language, to defend Latvia as an independent and democratic State, and to fulfil my duties honestly and conscientiously.
I undertake to observe the Constitution and laws of Latvia.”
The Presidium shall convene sessions of the Saeima and schedule regular and extraordinary sittings.
The Presidium shall convene sittings of the Saeima if requested by the President, the Prime Minister, or not less than one third of the members of the Saeima.
The Saeima shall establish rules of order to provide for its internal operations and order.
The working language of the Saeima is the Latvian language.
Sittings of the Saeima shall be public.
The Saeima may decide by a majority vote of not less than twothirds of the members present to sit in closed session, if so requested by ten members of the Saeima, or by the President, the Prime Minister, or a Minister.
Sittings of the Saeima may take place if at least half of the members of the Saeima participate therein.
The Saeima shall make decisions by an absolute majority of votes of the members present at the sitting, except in cases specifically set out in the Constitution.
The Saeima shall establish committees and determine the number of members and their duties.
Committees have the right to require of individual Ministers or local government authorities information and explanations necessary for the work of the committees, and the right to invite to their sittings responsible representatives from the relevant ministries or local government authorities to furnish explanations.
Committees may also carry on their work between sessions of the Saeima.
The Saeima shall appoint parliamentary investigatory committees for specified matters if not less than onethird of its members request it.
The Saeima shall have the right to submit to the Prime Minister or to an individual Minister requests and questions which either they, or a responsible government official duly authorised by them, must answer.
The Prime Minister or any Minister shall furnish the relevant documents and enactments requested by the Saeima or by any of its committees.
Members of the Saeima may not be called to account by any judicial, administrative or disciplinary process in connection with their voting or their views as expressed during the execution of their duties.
Court proceedings may be brought against members of the Saeima if they, albeit in the course of performing parliamentary duties, disseminate:
1) defamatory statements which they know to be false, or
2) defamatory statements about private or family life.
Members of the Saeima shall not be arrested, nor shall their premises be searched, nor shall their personal liberty be restricted in any way without the consent of the Saeima.
Members of the Saeima may be arrested if apprehended in the act of committing a crime.
The Presidium shall be notified within twentyfour hours of the arrest of any member of the Saeima; the Presidium shall raise the matter at the next sitting of the Saeima for decision as to whether the member shall continue to be held in detention or be released.
When the Saeima is not in session, pending the opening of a session, the Presidium shall decide whether the member of the Saeima shall remain in detention.
Without the consent of the Saeima, criminal prosecution may not be commenced and administrative fines may not be levied against its members.
Members of the Saeima have the right to refuse to give evidence:
1) concerning persons who have entrusted to them, as representatives of the people, certain facts or information;
2) concerning persons to whom they, as representatives of the people, have entrusted certain facts or information; or
3) concerning such facts or information itself.
Members of the Saeima may not, either personally or in the name of another person, receive government contracts or concessions.
The provisions of this Article shall apply to Ministers even if they are not members of the Saeima.
The remuneration of members of the Saeima shall be from state funds.
No person may be called to account for reporting the sittings of the Saeima or its committees if such reports correspond to fact.
Information about closed sessions of either the Saeima or its committees may only be disclosed with the permission of the Presidium of the Saeima or the committee.
Chapter III
The President
The Saeima shall elect the President for a term of four years.
The President shall be elected by secret ballot with a majority of the votes of not less than fiftyone members of the Saeima.
Any person who enjoys full rights of citizenship and who has attained the age of forty years may be elected President.
A person with dual citizenship may not be elected President.
The office of the President shall not be held concurrently with any other office.
If the person elected as President is a member of the Saeima, he or she shall resign his or her mandate as a member of the Saeima.
The same person shall not hold office as President for more than eight consecutive years.
The President, upon taking up the duties of office, at a sitting of the Saeima, shall take the following solemn oath: “I swear that all of my work will be dedicated to the welfare of the people of Latvia.
I will do everything in my power to promote the prosperity of the Republic of Latvia and all who live here.
I will hold sacred and will observe the Constitution of Latvia and the laws of the State.
I will act justly towards all and will fulfil my duties conscientiously.”
The President shall represent the State in international relations, appoint the diplomatic representatives of Latvia, and also receive diplomatic representatives of other states.

Therefore constitution should be honoured as a document that we have adopted for ourselves, in order for us – our country and nation – to be able to lead happy lives and to develop.

The constitutional standards do not claim to be textually complete, because they cannot regulate everything.

Therefore there are rules, although not always they are precise.

But this relative “gap” is not left unnoticed.

The Constitution holds standards that provide limits to these as if unregulated matters.

The spirit of the state basic law – the highest values recognized by the nation – is revealed by the constitutional principles.

Some principles are included in standards expressis verbis, others are derived or follow a definite standard or principle, but others – from all constitutional regulations as a whole.

The Constitution should be understood as an inseparable entirety, and the standards included in it should be translated systemically.

The Constitution is not something that exists outside the real life and outside the society.

Also, if the state basic law remains unchanged, the ideas included in it may change along the time.

Such document may be recognized as contentually complete and current, only if it can be interpreted as a live document in regard to the particular time period.

Interpretation of the Constitution is open to the time spirit, it is directly related to reality, but we must be careful for it not to become subject to shortterm political ideas.

The basic law of our country is praised by those, who have read it, as well as by those, who have never read it, and by those, who have read it, but have not understood it.

But it is important not only to panegyrize it, but also to be able to live in accordance with it.

The meaning of Constitution in the society is characterized by respecting it, by following it and by adapting it.

Latvia has a beautiful State Constitution.

It includes the efforts of the nation of Latvia and its recognized values.

All of it has been expressed in a beautiful language, without excess words.

We can certainly place it in the seat of honour.

We can be proud of it.

Gunārs Kūtris, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia

Adopted by the Constitutional Assembly of Latvia on 15 February 1922

The Constitution of the Republic of Latvia

The people of Latvia, in freely elected Constitutional Assembly, have adopted the following State Constitution:

Chapter I

General Provisions

Latvia is an independent democratic republic.

The sovereign power of the State of Latvia is vested in the people of Latvia.

The territory of the State of Latvia, within the borders established by international agreements, consists of Vidzeme, Latgale, Kurzeme and Zemgale.

The Latvian language is the official language in the Republic of Latvia.

The national flag of Latvia shall be red with a band of white.

Chapter II

The Saeima

The Saeima shall be composed of one hundred representatives of the people.

The Saeima shall be elected in general, equal and direct elections, and by secret ballot based on proportional representation.

In the division of Latvia into separate electoral districts, provision for the number of members of the Saeima to be elected from each district shall be proportional to the number of electors in each district.

All citizens of Latvia who enjoy full rights of citizenship and, who on election day have attained eighteen years of age shall be entitled to vote.

Any citizen of Latvia, who enjoys full rights of citizenship and, who is more than twentyone years of age on the first day of elections may be elected to the Saeima.

The Saeima shall be elected for a term of four years.

Elections for the Saeima shall be held on the first Saturday in October.

The newly elected Saeima shall hold its first sitting on the first Tuesday in November, when the mandate of the previous Saeima shall expire.

Should elections for the Saeima, by reason of the dissolution of the previous Saeima, be held at another time of the year, the Saeima so elected shall convene not later than one month after its election, and its mandate shall expire upon the convening of the new Saeima on the first Tuesday in November following the elapse of three years after such election.

Not less than one tenth of electors has the right to initiate a national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima.

If the majority of voters and at least two thirds of the number of the voters who participated in the last elections of the Saeima vote in the national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima, then the Saeima shall be deemed recalled.

The right to initiate a national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima may not be exercised one year after the convening of the Saeima and one year before the end of the term of office of the Saeima, during the last six months of the term of office of the President, as well as earlier than six months after the previous national referendum regarding recalling of the Saeima.

The electors may not recall any individual member of the Saeima.

The Saeima shall hold its sittings in Rīga, and only in extraordinary circumstances may it convene elsewhere.

The Saeima shall elect a Presidium that shall be composed of a Chairperson, two Deputies and Secretaries.

The Presidium shall function continuously during the mandate of the Saeima.

The first sitting of the newly elected Saeima shall be opened by the Chairperson of the preceding Saeima or by another member of the Presidium at the direction of the Presidium.

The Saeima itself shall review the qualifications of its members.

A person elected to the Saeima shall acquire the mandate of a Member of the Saeima if such person gives the following solemn promise:

“I, upon assuming the duties of a Member of the Saeima, before the people of Latvia, do swear (solemnly promise) to be loyal to Latvia, to strengthen its sovereignty and the Latvian language as the only official language, to defend Latvia as an independent and democratic State, and to fulfil my duties honestly and conscientiously.

I undertake to observe the Constitution and laws of Latvia.”

The Presidium shall convene sessions of the Saeima and schedule regular and extraordinary sittings.

The Presidium shall convene sittings of the Saeima if requested by the President, the Prime Minister, or not less than one third of the members of the Saeima.

The Saeima shall establish rules of order to provide for its internal operations and order.

The working language of the Saeima is the Latvian language.

Sittings of the Saeima shall be public.

The Saeima may decide by a majority vote of not less than twothirds of the members present to sit in closed session, if so requested by ten members of the Saeima, or by the President, the Prime Minister, or a Minister.

Sittings of the Saeima may take place if at least half of the members of the Saeima participate therein.

The Saeima shall make decisions by an absolute majority of votes of the members present at the sitting, except in cases specifically set out in the Constitution.

The Saeima shall establish committees and determine the number of members and their duties.

Committees have the right to require of individual Ministers or local government authorities information and explanations necessary for the work of the committees, and the right to invite to their sittings responsible representatives from the relevant ministries or local government authorities to furnish explanations.

Committees may also carry on their work between sessions of the Saeima.

The Saeima shall appoint parliamentary investigatory committees for specified matters if not less than onethird of its members request it.

The Saeima shall have the right to submit to the Prime Minister or to an individual Minister requests and questions which either they, or a responsible government official duly authorised by them, must answer.

The Prime Minister or any Minister shall furnish the relevant documents and enactments requested by the Saeima or by any of its committees.

Members of the Saeima may not be called to account by any judicial, administrative or disciplinary process in connection with their voting or their views as expressed during the execution of their duties.

Court proceedings may be brought against members of the Saeima if they, albeit in the course of performing parliamentary duties, disseminate:

1) defamatory statements which they know to be false, or

2) defamatory statements about private or family life.

Members of the Saeima shall not be arrested, nor shall their premises be searched, nor shall their personal liberty be restricted in any way without the consent of the Saeima.

Members of the Saeima may be arrested if apprehended in the act of committing a crime.

The Presidium shall be notified within twentyfour hours of the arrest of any member of the Saeima; the Presidium shall raise the matter at the next sitting of the Saeima for decision as to whether the member shall continue to be held in detention or be released.

When the Saeima is not in session, pending the opening of a session, the Presidium shall decide whether the member of the Saeima shall remain in detention.

Without the consent of the Saeima, criminal prosecution may not be commenced and administrative fines may not be levied against its members.

Members of the Saeima have the right to refuse to give evidence:

1) concerning persons who have entrusted to them, as representatives of the people, certain facts or information;

2) concerning persons to whom they, as representatives of the people, have entrusted certain facts or information; or

3) concerning such facts or information itself.

Members of the Saeima may not, either personally or in the name of another person, receive government contracts or concessions.

The provisions of this Article shall apply to Ministers even if they are not members of the Saeima.

The remuneration of members of the Saeima shall be from state funds.

No person may be called to account for reporting the sittings of the Saeima or its committees if such reports correspond to fact.

Information about closed sessions of either the Saeima or its committees may only be disclosed with the permission of the Presidium of the Saeima or the committee.

Chapter III

The President

The Saeima shall elect the President for a term of four years.

The President shall be elected by secret ballot with a majority of the votes of not less than fiftyone members of the Saeima.

Any person who enjoys full rights of citizenship and who has attained the age of forty years may be elected President.

A person with dual citizenship may not be elected President.

The office of the President shall not be held concurrently with any other office.

If the person elected as President is a member of the Saeima, he or she shall resign his or her mandate as a member of the Saeima.

The same person shall not hold office as President for more than eight consecutive years.

The President, upon taking up the duties of office, at a sitting of the Saeima, shall take the following solemn oath: “I swear that all of my work will be dedicated to the welfare of the people of Latvia.

I will do everything in my power to promote the prosperity of the Republic of Latvia and all who live here.

I will hold sacred and will observe the Constitution of Latvia and the laws of the State.

I will act justly towards all and will fulfil my duties conscientiously.”

The President shall represent the State in international relations, appoint the diplomatic representatives of Latvia, and also receive diplomatic representatives of other states.