Nele Siitam, Justice of the Supreme Court, Head of the Editorial Board

There are plenty of topics and issues that arrive on the judges' desks. Some of them deserve wider public attention. That is why this time, we have selected one topic of greater public interest from each area of law (excluding constitutional review) to delve deeper into in the yearbook. ...

Kristi Jakobsoo, Human resources specialist at the Supreme Court
Ave Hussar, Head of the Personnel and Communication Department of the Supreme Court

There are 249 judge and justice positions in Estonia, 256 positions together with the so-called temporary judge positions and those with temporary specifications. Of these, 240 were filled at the beginning of 2026. ...

Gerty Pau, Judge of Tartu District Court
Ann Meriluht, Judge of Harju District Court

Employment relationships reflect both the evolution of society as a whole and the expectations of the new generation entering the labour market. Young people are no longer interested in a steady paycheck and a job that is guaranteed for decades, but expect flexibility in taking on responsibilities, development and more freedom in how they spend their time. ...

Pihel Sarv, Judge of Tallinn Administrative Court

Decisions on the conservation or hunting of Estonia's three large carnivores – the brown bear, the wolf and the lynx – usually attract lots of public attention. The fascinating, yet also fearsome, large animals with whom we share our homeland are of great interest to many. So let's find out where these disputes originated from. What do administrative courts base their passion-igniting decisions on and what has been found in case law so far? ...

Karin Leichter-Tammisto, Legal Adviser to the Chief Justice at the Supreme Court of Estonia

The Council for Administration of Courts is an advisory body convened to manage the judicial system and administers the courts of first and second instance in cooperation with the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs. According to the Courts Act, the CAC has the competence to grant approvals and provide positions, as well as to give opinions on matters concerning courts and judges. ...

Andra Pärsimägi, Chair of the Ethics Council, Judge of Tartu Circuit Court

Courts work to protect people, ensure legal peace and uphold the rule of law. The values of the judiciary are competence, trustworthiness and independence. Estonian judges adhere to the values set out in the Bangalore Principles of independence, impartiality, integrity, propriety, equality, and competence and diligence. ...

Paavo Randma, Chair of the Disciplinary Chamber, Justice of the Supreme Court

Last year, two cases of offences were heard by the Disciplinary Chamber. In both cases, the disciplinary charges were brought against the judge of the district court. In one case, the prosecution was brought by a chair of the district court, in the other by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. ...

Külli Luha, Analyst of the Courts Division of the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs

In 2025, 37,538 civil matters (6.5% more than in 2024) and 31,120 expedited payment order matters (34.3% less than in 2024) reached the district courts; 10,498 criminal procedure matters reached the courts, of which 3,313 were criminal matters (6.3% more than in 2024) ...