Latvian law considers a situation where an offense is less serious than a crime to be an administrative offence. In certain situations, administrative liability can be applied in cases of hate speech.
Aggravating circumstances
In Latvia, the Law on Administrative Liability establishes that any administrative offence committed with a biased motive towards an individual or a group due to the victim’s race, nationality, religion or other clearly determinable characteristics is considered to have aggravating circumstances. During the trial, the court should take the aggravating circumstances into account, namely, the bias motive, when adopting the decision. In general, aggravating circumstances can be applied to all administrative offences, established in the Law on Administrative Liability. Hate speech can, in some cases, help establish that an offence should be considered to be a hate crime or that aggravating circumstances existed.
Read more about hate crimes and the differences between hate crimes and hate speech.
Read more about the right to a fair trial in administrative offences proceedings.
Request for compensation during trial
You can request compensation from the perpetrator of the administrative offence by lodging a civil claim, as set out in the Civil Procedure Law.
Read more about civil claims and civil liability.