ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Kalvis Engīzers

Kalvis Engīzers is a legal clerk at the Constitutional Court of Latvia. The opinions expressed are entirely his own and do not purport to reflect the opinions or views of any institution to which he is affiliated.

POSTS BY Kalvis Engīzers

02 February 2021

Defining the Modern Family

In November 2020, the Constitutional Court of Latvia recognised that the Constitution of Latvia (Satversme) obliges the state to protect all families, including those established by same-sex couples. The judgement was met with considerable political backlash and at the beginning of January prompted the right‑wing party Nacionālā Apvienība to submit an initiative to amend the Satversme with a new, excluding definition of family. Perhaps more worrisome is how the amendment and the associated campaign openly attack the authority of the Constitutional Court. Continue reading >>