Estonia's Chancellor of Justice Post: Supreme Court Justice Oliver Kask Nominated
Estonian President Ülle Madise, a former justice chancellor, has nominated Supreme Court Justice Oliver Kask for the post. He pledges to keep the office out of politics and to focus on social rights.
Oliver Kask, a justice of Estonia's Supreme Court, has been nominated for the seven-year term as chancellor of justice. The chancellor of justice is the official who oversees the constitutionality of laws and the protection of fundamental rights in Estonia. The nominee was put forward by President Ülle Madise, who previously held the post herself, and must be appointed by the Riigikogu, Estonia's parliament. Parliamentary groups plan to meet him before deciding.
Kask said he took time to consider the offer because of the importance of the issues the office handles. He intends to concentrate on social rights, especially where people find it hard to defend their interests or bring cases to court, as well as on protecting democracy and the rule of law. In his view, the office should not be political, and political questions should be settled by the Riigikogu and the government.
Background of the nominee
Kask has worked at the Ministry of Justice, served as a judge at the Tallinn Circuit Court and chaired the National Electoral Committee. He currently sits on the Administrative Law Chamber of the Supreme Court.
Priorities of parliamentary groups
Parties have already outlined what they want to raise. Isamaa MP Lea Danilson-Järg pointed to the state's obligations to citizens, citing 2,000 people waiting for special care services, and said the state has failed to meet its obligations there. She also named the official status and role of the Estonian language.
Social Democrats leader Lauri Läänemets wants the chancellor to keep working on data protection: growing volumes of personal data must be protected without obstructing law enforcement. He said balanced and considered decisions are needed, not haste.
MP Anti Poolamets of the Conservative People's Party (EKRE) said Kask must demonstrate the office's independence and commitment to fundamental rights. He also called for safeguarding the transparency of online voting and the ability to file election complaints.
Reform Party MP Madis Timpson, who chairs the Riigikogu's Legal Affairs Committee, said the focus should be on better laws rather than more of them.
The parliamentary groups are due to meet Kask the week after next.
