The Constitutional Court of Latvia has upheld a law mandating the conversion of Russian-language schools to Latvian, dismissing a challenge brought forth by opponents who argued it violated the right to obtain education in a minority language. The Court found that making Latvian the primary language of instruction aligns with Latvia’s legal framework and international commitments. The ruling is accessible
here.
Latvia, which gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, has a considerable Russian-speaking minority. However, Latvian remains the official language, as recognized by Article 4 of the
Constitution of Latvia. Article 114 of the same document also protects the right of ethnic minorities to preserve their languages. The
Education Law of 1998 and the
General Education Law of 2000 enforced Latvian as the primary medium of instruction in public schools, though some private institutions opted to offer education in Russian.
In 2018, the
Amendment to General Education Law Act was enacted, making Latvian compulsory in all educational institutions, including private ones. This action sparked significant controversy, leading to a
petition filed in 2023 which asserted that the reform infringed on minority language rights.
The Court’s latest ruling follows a 2020
report by the Venice Commission, which advised the Latvian government to adopt a more inclusive framework for minorities, despite finding the amendments compliant with international regulations.
The judgement arrives amid other measures affecting the Russian-speaking community, such as laws requiring Russian residents to pass a language exam as noted
here and the recent closure of a Russian border crossing by Latvia for security reasons, detailed
here.