SUPREME COURT
REPUBLIC OF ESTONIA
Lilit Ghazinyan
lilit. qhazin),an@j uridiciary. am 13 December 2018
No.6-1118-664
Answer to your inquiry
Dear Lilit Ghazinyan
Thank you for your message. In Estonia, the length of procedure of first and second instance
courts has received attention and the matter has been on the agenda of the Council for the
Administration of Courts (this Council in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice is
responsible for the administration of first and second instance courts).
The Ministry of Justice and courts of first and second instance have agreed on timeframes for
court proceedings and these timeframes have been approved by the Council for the
Administration of Courts. These timeframes do not, however, take into account the
complexity of the case. The last set of timeframes was approved by the Council in year 2011.
The timeframes were the following:
1. At least 94% of criminal matters tried in general procedure and civil matters are solved
within a period of one year (365 days). The adjudication of criminal matters tried in general
procedure and civil matters shall not take longer than two years. These principles do not apply
for criminal matters in which the accused is fugitive and in civil matters in which the
proceedings have been suspended.
2. At least 94oÄ of criminal matters tried in simplified procedure and misdemeanoĮĮr matters
are solved within half a year (180 days). The adjudication of criminal matters tried in
simplified procedure and misdemeanour matters shall not take longer than one year (365
days). These principles do not apply for criminal and misdemeanour matters in which the
accused is fugitive.
3. At least 90Yo of administrative matters are solved within one year (including the matters in
which the proceedings have been suspended). The adjudication of an administrative matter
shall not take longer than two years (except in cases where the proceedings have been
suspended).
4. At least 90% of criminal, misdemeanour, civil and administrative matters are solved at the
appeal court level within one year. The adjudication of criminal, misdemeanour, civil and
administrative matters shall not take longer than two years at the appeal court level (except in
cases in which the proceedings have been suspended).
l7 Lossi St,50093 Tartu, ESTONIA. Tel +31273.09002,fax+372730 9003, e-mail:
[email protected]
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5. Appeals against court rulings are solved by the appeal courts within 45 days (in case the
matter is still pending at the first instance court).
In addition to the timeframes set for the courts the Ministry of Justice has taken the obligation
to fill vacant judicialposts (vacant positions ofjudges) without any Įļnnecessary delay.
Yours sincerely
A
Andraš Tšitškan
Head of the legal information and judicial training department
Supreme Court of Estonia
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