Supreme Court of Estonia

The Estonian State Court (Estonian Riigikohus ) is the highest court of the Republic of Estonia. He is both Estonian Constitutional Court as well as the highest revision or cassation instance of the ordinary and administrative courts.

Composition and duties

The Estonian State Court has its seat in Tartu. It consists of 19 judges. The judges include one of the three audit or cassation Senate ( kolleegium ) of the Court of Administrative Senate (5 members), Criminal Division (6 members) and civil division (7 members).

The judges shall be elected on the proposal of the Chairman of the Constitutional Court by the Estonian Parliament ( Riigikogu ). The Chairman of the Constitutional Court is elected on the proposal of the Estonian president by Parliament. His term of nine years. The judges of the Constitutional Court are elected to serve until reaching the age limit of 67 years. They are independent and subject only to the law.

In addition to the three senates Cassation, the Court includes the " Senate to review the constitutionality " ( põhiseaduslikkuse järelevalve kolleegium ), which is the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Estonia. He, at the request of other constitutional bodies and courts by abstract and concrete norm control procedures. Community parliaments can the court recite a local constitutional complaint. In certain cases, an individual constitutional complaint is possible. The Constitution Senate consists of nine members of the court. The Chairman of the Estonian State Court is ex officio President of the Senate Constitution.

The supreme body of the Riigikohus is the Joint Senate ( Riigikohtu üldkogu ). It is composed of all the judges of the Constitutional Court. He has a quorum when 11 members of the court are present. The Joint Senate decides by a majority of the judges present. He is responsible for the appointment and dismissal of judges of first instance. He is subject to the disciplinary nature of all Estonian judges.

In addition, the Special Senate exists ( Riigikohtu erikogu ). He decides on interpretation disputes between the senates of the State Court.

History of the Estonian State Court

The Constituent Assembly of Estonia ( Asutav Kogu ) decided on 21 October 1919, the Law on the Constitutional Court ( Riigikohtu seadus ). Its first meeting was held in Tartu on 14 January 1920. 1935, the seat of the Constitutional Court of Tartu was transferred to Tallinn. With the Soviet occupation of Estonia in the summer of 1940, the Constitutional Court was abolished. His last meeting was held on 31 December 1940. Six of the 16 judges were arrested by the NKVD and died in the Gulag, two more were detained after the end of World War II by the Soviets.

After the restoration of Estonian independence, the Estonian Constitution was adopted by referendum on 28 June 1992. On 27 May 1993, the re-established Estonian State Court held its first meeting after the Second World War.

Chairman of the Estonian Supreme Court

  • Kaarel Parts (1919-1940)
  • Rait Maruste (1992-1998)
  • Uno Lõhmus (1998-2004)
  • Mart Rask (2004-2013)
  • Priit Pikamäe (since 2013)
Verfassungsbeschwerde Estonian Constituent Assembly election, 1919 Constitution of Estonia
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