Separate Center to Review Prisoners' Complaints
Minister of Justice Kristen Michal said on May 13 that a competence centre is being established to review prisoners' complaints.
Michal said at the judges' forum, which continues in Tartu, that a center would be set up at the Tartu Administrative Court to increase the speed and quality of proceedings on all matters.
"Specialization would reduce the delays due to complaints which tend to come up repeatedly," said Michal.
Last year prisoners lodged 1,457 complaints to Estonia's administrative courts - that is 300 more than in 2009. The complaints make up more than 40 percent of the cases under review in the administrative courts.
There are many prisoners who file complaints repeatedly. Some of the complaints concern points of order that may seem to border on trivial - such as the obligation to wear a quilted jacket or the right to burn incense in cells - as well as matters such as need to wear handcuffs while being transported between prison and another location.
Kristopher Rikken