History

1918–1920

On November 11, 1918, the Estonian Provisional Government was established. The regulation on establishing provisional courts, adopted on November 18, 1918, created the foundation for the Prosecutor’s Office. The position of the Prosecutor of the Republic of Estonia was created under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Courts.

A decision of the Provisional Government assigned Jaan Teemant as the Prosecutor of the Republic of Estonia. He remained in that position until May 8, 1919.

1920–1940

In April 1920, the position of the Prosecutor of the Republic was abolished and the separate bodies of the Prosecutor’s Office at the Chamber of Justice and the Prosecutor’s Office at the Supreme Court were established.

The Prosecutor’s Office at the Supreme Court was mainly tasked with protecting lawfulness and expressing opinions. The Prosecutor’s Office at the Chamber of Justice had the tasks of presenting charges and supporting thereof. The Prosecutor’s Office at the Supreme Court acted as a prosecutor’s office in principle only in cases where the Supreme Court was solving a specific court case.

In 1940, the Soviet authorities eliminated the courts of the Republic of Estonia and the prosecutor’s offices at those courts, and on October 23, 1940, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Estonian SSR was established.

Since 1991

With the decision of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Estonia from August 27, 1991 “Of separating the Prosecutor’s Office the Republic of Estonia from the Prosecutor’s Office of the Soviet Union”, the Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of Estonia was established.

On February 25, 1993, the Riigikogu adopted the Prosecutor’s Office Act which established the current structure of the Prosecutor’s Office.