1940 Constitution of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic

Two days after the formation of the Latvian SSR on 21 July 1940, which was formalized by the Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On the Entry of the Latvian SSR into the Soviet Union" on 5 August 1940,^[4] the People's Saeima of Latvia formed a commission for the constitution of the Latvian SSR, which consisted of 15 deputies headed by Žanis Spure [lv].^[5] The commission formulates the constitution by translating the 1936 Constitution of the Soviet Union and made several changes to the translated version that account the specific situation of Latvia. The final constitution symbolizes "the tremendous upsurge of the masses who overthrew the exploiting classes".^[6]

The constitution itself was approved by acclamation in the 2nd session of the People's Saeima of Latvia on August 25, 1940. The constitution was first published on the News of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Latvian SSR (Latvijas PSR Augstākās Padomes Prezidija Ziņotājs) on 3 October 1940. The constitution was amended in the sessions of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR.^[7] The constitution lasted for 38 years, which was replaced by the new Brezhnevist Constitution on April 18, 1978, at the extraordinary eighth session of the Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR.

The Constitution is divided into 11 chapters and 118 articles.^[8]

1. The Organization of Society
2. The Organization of the State
3. The Highest Organs of State Authority of the Latvian SSR
4. The Organs of Government of the Latvian SSR
5. The Organs of the Local Governments
6. The Budget of the Latvian SSR
7. The Courts and the Procurator's Office
8. Fundamental Rights and Duties of Citizens
9. The Electoral System
10. Arms, Flag, Capital
11. Procedure for Amending the Constitution

• Grava-Kreituse, Ilga (1995), Latvijas okupācija un aneksija 1939-1940. Dokumenti un materiāli [Latvian occuation and annexation 1939-1940. Documents and materials] (in Latvian), Riga: Preses nams, ISBN 978-998-4908-50-2
• Valters, Pēteris (2001), Valsts un tiesību vēsture jēdzienos un terminos [History of state and law in concepts and terms] (in Latvian), Riga: Divergens, ISBN 978-998-4929-61-3
• Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1951), Конституция (Основной Закон) СССР; Конституции (Основные Законы) Союзных Советских Социалистических Республик [Constitution (Basic Law) of the USSR; Constitution (Basic Law) of the Socialist Soviet Republics] (in Russian), Moscow: State Publishing House of Legal Literature
• Traynin, Ilya Pavlovich (1940), Конституции новых союзных республик [Constitutions of the New Union Republics] (in Russian), Moscow{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
• Lipantov, A.A.; Savenikov, N.T. (1957), История Советской Конституции (в документах). 1917 – 1956 [History of the Soviet Constitution (in documents). 1917 - 1956] (in Russian), Moscow: Gozyurizdat
• Supreme Soviet of the Latvian SSR (3 October 1940), "Latvijas Padomju Sociālistiskās Republikas Konstitūcija (Pamatlikums)" [Constitution of the Latvian SSR], Latvijas PSR Augstākās Padomes Prezidija Ziņotājs (in Latvian), no. 29, Riga