Legal Affairs Committee supports Parmas for prosecutor general
The Riigikogu's Legal Affairs Committee supported the proposal of the Minister of Justice Raivo Aeg to appoint Andres Parmas as prosecutor general.
Chairman of the Committee on Legal Affairs Jaanus Karilaid (Centre) said the candidate has the skills required for the job. "I believe Andres Parmas will be able to apply the principle of equal treatment and to run the prosecution service with determination and impartiality, as was required in his previous position as a judge," Karilaid said.
The Reform Party members of the committee abstained on the decision, citing the candidate's lack of management experience.
The government now needs to support the decision. The process of the Prosecutor's Office Act states the government should appoint the prosecutor general on the proposal of the Minister of Justice, after hearing the opinion of the Legal Affairs Committee.
Aeg (Isamaa) originally wanted incumbent prosecutor general Lavly Perling to serve a second term as prosecutor general. While the Centre Party supported its coalition partner's proposal, EKRE, the coalition's other junior partner, was against it, forcing Aeg to look for another candidate.
Aeg nominating Parmas, a Tallinn Circuit Court judge for the position of prosecutor general last month.
"Parmas has experience in various court levels," Aeg explained last month. "His candidacy is certainly supported by both a significant academic background as well as his active contributions to the international development of criminal law."
Since 2014, Parmas has served as a judge of the Criminal Chamber of Tallinn Circuit Court; since 2017, he has also served as a judge of the Specialist Chambers of Kosovo.
From 2013-2014, he served as adviser to the Court of Appeals of the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX). From 2002-2013, he worked as adviser to the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court of Estonia, and from 2009-2017, he lectured on criminal and penal law at the University of Tartu.
Andres Parmas was born on June 3, 1977. He graduated with a master's degree from the School of Law of the University of Tartu in 2005, and is currently a PhD candidate.
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Editor: Helen Wright
