The Supreme Court of Estonia: e-Estonia.

The Supreme Court of Estonia is competent to:

•   review appeals in cassation and protests;
•   hear petitions for review filed against court judgments;
•   hear petitions for constitutional review;
•   resolve certain matters pertaining to court administration.

There are 19 justices in the Supreme Court and the court is composed of the Civil Chamber, Criminal Chamber, Administrative Law Chamber and the Constitutional Review Chamber.

In civil, criminal and administrative cases an appeal in cassation, an appeal against a court ruling or a petition for the review of a court decision can be filed with the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court does not accept all filed appeals.
The Supreme Court shall accept a matter for proceedings if:

• the circuit court has evidently applied a provision of substantive law incorrectly in its judgment or has materially violated a provision of procedural law in making the judgment and this could have resulted in an incorrect judgment;
• the adjudication of the appeal in cassation has fundamental importance with respect to guaranteeing legal certainty and developing a uniform judicial practice.

No pre-trial proceedings are required when appeals are filed with the Constitutional Review Chamber.

Appeals may also be heard by Special (ad hoc) Panels or by the Supreme Court en banc. The Supreme Court en banc, comprised of all justices of the Supreme Court, is the highest body of the Court.

In the Supreme Court justice is administered by Civil, Administrative Law, Criminal and Constitutional Review Chambers and the Supreme Court en banc; ad hoc chambers, consisting of members of different Chambers, are set up if necessary. Each justice of the Supreme Court belongs to one of the Civil, Administrative Law or Criminal Chambers. The activities of Chambers are directed by the chairmen. The Chairmen and members of the Chambers are appointed by the Supreme Court en banc.

The Supreme Court of Estonia is a member of eight international organizations and networks.

World Conference on Constitutional Justice (WCCJ)
Supreme Court of Estonia is a member of the Conference as of 10 January 2012.

Conference of European Constitutional Courts
The Supreme Court of Estonia is full member as of 17 October 2003.

European Commission for Democracy through Law (Venice Commission)
The Venice Commission is the Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional matters. The Supreme Court of Estonia, in its capacity as a constitutional court participates in the activities of the Joint Council on Constitutional Justice of the Venice Commission.

Network of the Presidents of European Supreme Judicial Courts of the European Union
The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is an ex officio member of the since the foundation of the network, as of 10 March 2004.

Association of Councils of State and Supreme Administrative Jurisdictions of the European Union
The Supreme Court of Estonia is full member of ACA Europe as of Estonian’s access to the European Union on 1st May 2004.

European Union Forum of Judges for the Environment
The Supreme Court of Estonia is a member of EU Forum of Judges for the Environment. The European Union Forum of judges for the environment was created in Paris on 28 February 2004.

European Judicial Training Network
The European Judicial Training Network is the main platform and promoter for the development, training and exchange of knowledge and competence of the EU judiciary. The Supreme Court of Estonia is a member of the EJTN since June 2009, after the court started to organize judicial training following the liquidation of Estonian Law Center Foundation, which had been responsible for judicial training since 1995.

International Organisation for Judicial Training
The International Organization for Judicial Training (IOJT) was established in 2002 in order to promote the rule of law by supporting the work of judicial education institutions around the world. Estonian Supreme Court is a member of the IOJT as of 29 December 2012.

V. http://www.nc.ee/?id=194