Priit Pikamäe: Purposefully Aimless Court Reform
Priit Pikamäe discusses the ongoing debate surrounding the court administrative model in Estonia, highlighting significant constitutional issues that require clear communication.
Priit Pikamäe addresses the critical discourse surrounding the court administration model in Estonia, pointing out that this discussion has unveiled essential constitutional concerns that are yet to be thoroughly articulated. He notes that dissatisfaction with the justice system is almost as old as justice itself, with complaints about the sluggishness of the court processes being a long-standing issue. As part of addressing these worries, Pikamäe emphasizes that the modern constitutional state recognizes both the right to access the courts and the right to have one's case dealt with in a reasonable time frame as fundamental human rights.
The guarantee of these rights imposes a duty on the state to ensure that the functioning of the courts is not left to random chance but is instead organized effectively. The ability of countries to fulfill this task has been a crucial indicator assessed through various international metrics. These metrics evaluate the quality and duration of potential court remedies and have become key factors in determining the investment climate in countries, indicating that no one wishes to develop in an environment where judicial processes are notoriously slow and unreliable.
In conclusion, the article underscores the importance of reforming the judicial system in Estonia to meet modern standards of efficiency and reliability, suggesting that without significant improvements, public confidence in the justice system may continue to erode, leading to broader implications for governance and rule of law in the country.