LATVIA Law and Practice Contributed by: Edward Kuznetsov, Marine Legal Bureau
1. Maritime and Shipping Legislation and Regulation 1.1 Domestic Laws Establishing the Authorities of the Maritime and Shipping Courts Latvia does not have separate “maritime courts”. Mar - itime and shipping disputes are heard by the ordinary civil courts under the general court system. The key domestic instruments relevant to court authority and procedure are the Civil Procedure Law and the Mari - time Code, supplemented by the Civil Law and Com - mercial Law where appropriate. In practice, the most common shipping-related claims brought before Latvian courts include applications for interim relief (most notably ship or cargo arrest), enforcement-related applications (including meas - ures securing claims) and disputes arising from car - riage, port services, agency and supply arrangements. Competence is determined by the general jurisdic - tional rules of civil procedure, typically linked to the defendant’s domicile/seat, the place of performance or (for arrest/security) the location of the asset (eg, the vessel/cargo in port). 1.2 Port State Control Latvia applies the European port state control frame - work through its participation in the Paris MoU regime and implementation of relevant EU requirements. Port state control inspections are carried out by the com - petent maritime authority (in practice, the Maritime Administration of Latvia) and may include documen - tary checks, physical inspections, verification of cer - tificates and compliance testing. In cases of marine casualties (including crew casual - ties, groundings, pollution incidents and wreck-related events), the authorities may initiate enhanced inspec - tions, require reporting and evidence, impose correc - tive measures, and (where safety or serious deficien - cies are identified) detain a vessel. Environmental non-compliance and pollution-related incidents may trigger separate regulatory procedures and co-oper - ation with other competent bodies, depending on the nature of the incident and applicable international/EU rules.
1.3 Domestic Legislation Applicable to Ship Registration Ship registration in Latvia is primarily governed by the Maritime Code and related implementing regulations. The governmental authority responsible for regis - tration is the competent registry authority operating under the maritime administration framework (in prac - tice, the registration functions are carried out within the system administered by the Maritime Administra - tion of Latvia). The register records key particulars of the vessel and serves as the basis for the legal effects of registra - tion, including publicity of ownership and registered encumbrances (where applicable). 1.4 Requirements for Ownership of Vessels Latvian law permits registration of vessels with both domestic and foreign participation, subject to the requirements of the Maritime Code and registration rules concerning the applicant’s status, documenta - tion and the vessel’s eligibility for registration. Registration of vessels under construction may be possible where the registration framework provides for such entries, and where adequate identification and documentary evidence is available (eg, shipbuild - ing documentation and proof of title/interest), although the practical availability of such registration depends on the specific category and registration procedure used. 1.5 Temporary Registration of Vessels Latvian law provides for registration mechanisms that may accommodate temporary registration concepts in limited scenarios (eg, depending on the vessel’s sta - tus and intended operations). As a general principle, ship registration is designed to secure legal certainty as to flag and registry status. Dual registration is typically restricted and would be assessed against Latvian registration rules and the underlying international principles applicable to flag state jurisdiction and registry integrity. 1.6 Registration of Mortgages Mortgages over Latvian-registered vessels are record - ed in the ship ownership and mortgages registry
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