COBALT’s Arbitration team has authored the Latvia chapter for the World Arbitration Reporter (Second Edition), one of the leading international reference publications on arbitration law and practice. Published by JurisNet, the World Arbitration Reporter provides practitioners, businesses and academics with comprehensive, jurisdiction-specific guidance on arbitration frameworks around the world.
The updated chapter provides a comprehensive overview of Latvia’s arbitration framework, covering the legislative and institutional landscape, recent case law, and the latest reforms to Latvian arbitration law. It also examines key aspects of arbitration proceedings, court support to arbitration, and the recognition, enforcement and setting aside of arbitral awards, offering an up-to-date resource for practitioners and businesses operating in the international arbitration arena.
The complete World Arbitration Reporter (Second Edition) is available in print and through online subscription.
Latvia’s arbitration landscape at a glance
Latvia’s arbitration framework has undergone significant development in recent years. Most notably, the 2024 reforms introduced a dedicated mechanism for setting aside arbitral awards and strengthened court support to arbitration, bringing the substance of Latvia’s framework substantially closer to the UNCITRAL Model Law.
The reforms also introduced a number of practical changes. Parties to institutional arbitration are now able to appoint arbitrators beyond the institutions’ own lists; witness evidence is expressly regulated; and Latvian courts have broader powers to support proceedings, including through interim measures, assistance with evidence and the appointment, challenge and removal of arbitrators.
The chapter considers the full arbitration lifecycle – from arbitration agreements and the constitution of tribunals to the conduct of proceedings, arbitral awards, set-aside proceedings, and the recognition and enforcement of domestic and foreign awards.
COBALT’s Arbitration team acknowledges the excellent work of the previous authors of the Latvia chapter, Dr. Gaļina Žukova and Dr. Inga Kačevska, whose contributions provided a strong foundation for this updated edition.
