Review of necessity
- on this page
- Who?
- Participation
- Reasoned decision
- Timely decision
- Appeals
- What human rights violation may there be?
Who?
In Estonia, upon taking a person into custody, a preliminary investigation judge shall issue an authorization for up to two months to hold the suspect or the accused in custody. The preliminary investigation judge may extend the specified time limit based on a reasoned request of the prosecutor's office by up to two months at a time. The Code of Criminal Procedure explains who can initiate and conduct the review of holding you in custody, when and how.
Participation
You have the right to be present at the hearing in front of the investigative judge or the court and to explain your arguments as to why you should be released. Your lawyer must also be allowed to participate and help you at the hearing. If you do not understand and/or speak Estonian, the investigative judge or the court has a duty to arrange a State paid translator during the hearing.
Reasoned decision
The investigative judge or the court has to examine all the facts for and against your continued holding in custody. The judges must be very diligent in doing this. The investigative judge must issue a well-reasoned decision, especially if he or she has decided to continue to hold you in custody. This means that the decision must very clearly explain the grounds on which you will be held in custody and why that is still necessary at this stage of the proceedings. The reasons cannot be superficial, generic or repeat the same reasoning as in the previous decisions about taking or holding you in custody. The longer you have been hold in custody, the more thorough and well-founded the reasons for prolonging holding you in custody should be. If you do not understand Estonian, the court must provide you with a translation of the decision without delay in a language that you understand.
Timely decision
Human rights require that the lawfulness of holding you in custody must be decided speedily. It means that the investigative judge or the court has to consider holding you in custody after the two months are passed carefully and without unjustified delay. If the court has not made a decision to extend the time of your custody based on prosecutor’s request and two months are passed, then there are no lawful grounds to hold you in custody any longer.
Appeals
In Estonia you can submit an appeal to a court decision regarding the extension of the time limit of holding you in custody according to Code of Criminal Procedure.
Resources
Article 20, 21
Articles 5 (1) c), 5 (4), 6
Articles 9, 14
19 February 2009
16 December 2014
23 August 2007
9 December 1988
27 September 2006
11 January 2006