Armands Smans

Colleagues speak highly of the analytic thinking, creative approach of Armands, as well as of his ability to provide goal-orientated legal assistance in criminal matters and in civil matters of certain categories. In cooperation with bureau colleagues, Armands has effectively achieved an outcome favourable to the client within the framework of both pre-trial criminal proceedings and court trials, successfully helped clients to recover their funds, frozen in financial institutions, as well as on multiple occasions achieved renewal of complicated criminal proceedings in connection with newly disclosed circumstances. Armands has participated in the drafting of several constitutional complaints resulting in an outcome favourable to the client, provided legal opinions in cases of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague (as a junior expert) and in the Constitutional Court of Latvia (as a person invited by the court to give opinion), author of various scientific articles and legal opinions. In 2020, Armands was recognized as one of the 30 most successful young leaders in Latvia on Forbes Latvia annual “30 under 30” ranking. Currently Armands acts as liquidator within the biggest in terms of volume of assets bank self-liquidation processes in Baltic’s and is regularly expanding his knowledge – in 2023, Armands attained internationally recognised Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS) certification and children’s rights protection certification.

Publications

• Smans A., Jasniks P. Commentary on the Decision of the Department of the Criminal Cases of the Senate in case No. SKK-34/2022. “Jurista Vārds”, 4 April 2023 / No. 14/15 (1280/1281).

• Smans A. Commentary on the Judgement of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Latvia in case Nr. 2021-38-01. “Jurista Vārds”, 5 July 2022 / No. 27 (1241).

• Smans A. Risk of Obstruction of Pre-Trial Proceedings as a Ground for Application of Preventive Measures Related to Deprivation of Liberty. A collection of articles of the 78th scientific conference of the University of Latvia. Riga: LU Academic Publishing, 2020, pages 133-141.

• Smans A. Renewal of Criminal Proceedings in Connection with Newly Disclosed Circumstances – Current Problems. A collection of articles of the 77th scientific conference of the University of Latvia. Riga: LU Academic Publishing, 2019, pages 134-143.

• Smans A. The Concept of the Equality of Arms in Criminal Proceedings. Book: Legal Traditions and Matters of Legal Identity of Central and Eastern Europe. A collection of articles of the 76th scientific conference of the University of Latvia. Riga: LU Academic Publishing, 2018, pages 289-296.

• Smans A. Arrest of Property in Criminal Proceedings. Property Arrest of the Legal Entity. Book: Group of authors. Public Law Liability of Legal persons: Topicalities, Problems and Potential Solutions. Riga: LU Academic Publishing, 2018, pages 246-274.
• Smans A. Content of the Principle of Presumption of Innocence in the Case Law of the Court of Justice of the European Union in Respect of the Application of Penalties Outside the Criminal Proceedings. Book: Group of authors. Public Law Liability of Legal persons: Topicalities, Problems and Potential Solutions. Riga: LU Academic Publishing, 2018, pages 60-72.
• Smans A. Interaction and Mutual Distinction of Civil and Criminal Liability. “Jurista Vārds”, 13 March 2018 / No. 11 (1017).
• Smans A. Legal Regulation on Handling Illegally Acquired Property and its Impact upon the Business Environment – the Experience of Latvia. Juridical Tribune – Tribuna Juridica, Volume 8, Issue 1, March 2018.
• Smans A. Placing Arrest on Shares in Criminal Proceedings. “Jurista Vārds”, 24 October 2017 / No. 44 (998).
• Smans A. Right to Get Acquainted with Case Materials in the Process of Illegally Acquired Property. Book: 95 years of the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia. A collection of articles of the 75th scientific conference of the University of Latvia. Riga: LU Academic Publishing, 2017, pages 351-359.
• Smans A. Evaluation of Admissibility of Exculpatory Evidence. “Jurista Vārds”, 28 March 2017 / No. 13 (967).
• Smans A. 10 Years of Criminal Procedure Law. Conference on Current Issues of Criminal Procedure. “Jurista Vārds”, 5 January 2016 / No. 1 (904).
• Rusanovs E., Smans A. Influence of an Operational Information on the Inner Belief of Person Directing Criminal Proceedings. “Jurista Vārds”, 3 November 2015 / No. 43 (895).
• Smans A. Use of the Information about Facts Obtained as a Result of Operational Activities in the Process of Proving. “Jurista Vārds”. 11 August 2015 / No. 31 (883).