Cobalt has provided pro bono advice to the Apeirons Foundation regarding an opinion the latter submitted to the Constitutional Court of Latvia as amicus curiae.
According to Cobalt, “on July 9, 2020, the Constitutional Court ruled that Paragraph 2 of Cabinet Regulation No. 1605, in so far as it determines the amount of the social security benefit for unemployed persons with disabilities and seniors, does not conform with Articles 1, 91 and 109 of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia and is void from 1 January 2021. The Constitutional Court emphasized that the current amount of the social security benefit does not ensure the satisfaction of the basic needs of its beneficiaries and enable them to live a life with dignity. Moreover, the Court condemned the approach the Cabinet of Ministers took when determining the amount of the benefit, which only took into account matters related to the state budget and not the actual increase in living expenses and the overall economic situation. Furthermore, the Cabinet of Ministers had failed to review the amount of social security benefit.“
Cobalt‘s team included Managing Partner Lauris Liepa, Associates Toms Krumins and Gabriela Santare, and Assistant Lawyer Maira Puzule.
