Ave Hussar
Head of the Supreme Court personnel and communication department
Kristi Jakobsoo
Human resources specialist at the Supreme Court
Number of judges and justices
As of the beginning of 2024,[1] there were 256 judge and justice positions in Estonia – together with the so-called temporary judge positions[2] and the specifications established for 2024[3] – and 246 of these were filled. There were four vacancies at Tartu Circuit Court, one at Tallinn Administrative Court, two at Harju County Court, two at Tartu County Court and one at Viru County Court.
The competitions declared for three judge positions at Tartu Circuit Court have ended, and the new judges took office in January 2024. The results of the competition announced in September 2023 to fill the fourth vacant position at Tartu Circuit Court will be determined in the first half of 2024, as will the results of the competitions of Tallinn Administrative Court and county courts.
Gender structure of judges
There were 169 women and 77 men in office as of 31 December 2023.
Age of judges
The average age of judges in office as of early 2024 was 49.0 years.
Of the judges in office, 97 are 40-49 years old. There are 81 judges aged 50-59 and 38 judges aged 30-39. There are 30 judges who have reached the age of 60. There are no judges under 30 years of age.
The renewal of the judiciary continues
As of the turn of the year, there were 24 judges eligible for retirement, and 10 of them are known to retire in 2024. Another 33 judges will also become eligible to retire in the period 2024-2029. Among them, eight judges will be able to retire in 2024, and five of them have expressed their wish to do so.
In 2020-2023, 42 judges left and 55 took up their positions. Therefore, more than a fifth of the judges in office at the beginning of 2024 have started in the last four years.
New judges and transfers
In 2023, 18 new judges joined the court system, one in Tallinn Administrative Court, one in Tartu Administrative Court, eight in Harju County Court, four in Tartu County Court, three in Pärnu County Court and one in Viru County Court. At the same time, three judges were transferred within the court system: Elina Elkind, who had worked at Harju County Court, took a position at Tallinn Circuit Court, and Margit Vutt and Vahur-Peeter Liin, who had worked at Tartu Circuit Court, started working as Supreme Court justices.
Pihel Sarv began serving at Tallinn Administrative Court; Ene Andresen at Tartu Administrative Court; Margit Roots-Dervishi, Näncy-Marita Maltseva, Lea Pähkel, Andra Sild, Sandra-Kristin Kärner, Antero Maksing, Helina Mark, and Maris Juha at Harju County Court; Anu Vilt, Mari Schihalejev, Margit Jäätma, and Tanel Pürn at Tartu County Court; Liisa Nuut, Brigitta Mõttus, and Addis Tammiku at Pärnu County Court; and Heleen Jääger at Viru County Court. Before being appointed as a judge, three of them worked as judicial clerks, four as senior judicial clerks, four as sworn advocates, one as a public prosecutor, one as a district prosecutor, one as a senior prosecutor, one as a data protection expert, and three as advisers to the Supreme Court.
Judges who left their positions
Last year, 17 judges left office: two from the Supreme Court, four from Harju County Court, three from Tartu County Court, three from Pärnu County Court, two from Viru County Court, two from Tallinn Administrative Court, and one from Tartu Administrative Court.
Due to retirement, Supreme Court justices Peeter Jerofejev and Tambet Tampuu, Harju County Court judges Anne Rebane and Margot Mikler, Tartu County Court judges Silvi Maiste, Donald Kiidjärv and Peet Teidearu, Pärnu County Court judges Lea Pavelson, Ingrid Niinemägi and Ivika Sillaots, Viru County Court judges Helgi Vinni and Galina Jasnjuk, Tallinn Administrative Court judge Elle Kask, and Tartu Administrative Court judge Roby Koik were granted discharges. Judge Alari Möldre of Harju County Court was dismissed for health reasons. Judge Kadi Kark of Harju County Court was released from office at her own request. On 25 September 2023, Kristina Maimann, judge at Tallinn Administrative Court, passed away.
Judge hiring rounds
The Minister of Justice announced six hiring rounds for a total of 23 judge positions in county, administrative and circuit courts in 2023.
On 20 April 2023, the hiring round for the positions of one judge of the Civil Chamber of Tartu Circuit Court, two judges of the Civil Chamber of Tallinn Circuit Court and one judge of the Criminal Chamber of Tallinn Circuit Court, and on 18 May 2023, for the positions of three judges of the civil department of Tartu County Court, one judge of the offences department of Tartu County Court, two judges of the civil department of Harju County Court, and one judge of the civil department of Viru County Court began. Eight new judges elected in the framework of these hiring rounds were appointed by the President of the Republic on 3 November and 21 December 2023. The position of the civil judge of Viru County Court remained unfilled.
On 26 September 2023, the hiring round was launched for the positions of a judge of the Civil Chamber of Tartu Circuit Court and a judge of the Civil Chamber of Tallinn Circuit Court; on 17 October 2023 for the positions of two judges of Tallinn Administrative Court in the Tallinn and Pärnu Courthouses; on 11 December 2023 for the position of a judge of the offences department of Tartu County Court in Jõgeva Courthouse, for the position of a judge of the civil department of Tartu County Court in Valga Courthouse, for the position of a judge of the civil department of Viru County Court in Jõhvi Courthouse, for the position of a judge of the offences department of Viru County Court in Rakvere Courthouse, for the position of a judge of the offences department of Harju County Court, and for the positions of two judges of the civil department of Harju County Court; and on 12 December 2023 for the position of a judge of the Administrative Chamber of Tallinn Circuit Court. These hiring rounds will be completed in the first half of 2024.
Villu Kõve, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, announced a hiring round for a Supreme Court justice position in the Civil Chamber on 25 January 2023 and for a Supreme Court justice position in the Administrative Chamber on 13 December 2023. The first of these hiring rounds was completed on 14 September 2023 with the appointment of the new member of the Supreme Court Vahur-Peeter Liin to office in the Riigikogu, the results of the second one will be revealed in the first half of 2024.
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[1] Starting from 2023, data are submitted as of the turn of the year.
[2] Namely, in 2021, Regulation No. 47 of the Minister of Justice of 27 October 2005 ‘Number of judges and assistant judges at county, administrative and circuit courts and their division among courthouses’ was amended so that if a judge is away from their duties for a longer period, an additional judge can be appointed. The number of judges can be temporarily increased by as many as five judges in Harju County Court and by one in Tartu County Court.
[3] In 2023, two additional judges could be appointed at Tartu Circuit Court, considering that a circuit court may have 18 judges until the end of 2024.