Justice minister formally appoints Kristjan Siigur as new circuit court chair
Justice Minister Kalle Laanet (Reform) has appointed Kristjan Siigur new chair of the second-tier Tallinn Circuit Court. That this normally run-of-the-mill event has attracted media attention relates to an ongoing spat between the minister and the prosecutor general, which culminated in the former resigning from his post.
Prosecutor General Andres Parmas was considered favorite for the post, but was passed over in favor of Siigur amid a political spat with the justice minister which culminated in the latter's resignation last Saturday.
Laanet remains in office as justice minister on a caretaker basis while a replacement is found, making the appointment of Siigur one of his last substantive acts in that role.
The selection committee submitted Siigur's candidacy to the council for the administration of courts, which duly approved it, and the justice minister on Wednesday officially and finally confirmed the appointment.
Siigur's term starts on May 17 and is for a period of seven years.
Siigur's official wage is set at €6,569.29 per month gross, plus an additional monthly bonus of 35 percent for the duties of the president, bringing the total to approximately €8,900 gross.
Parmas had been placed under supervision by Laanet early last week, and the prosecutor general had been complaining of undue political pressure from the justice minister for several weeks. This prompted concerns of the independence of the judiciary – although Parmas heads up the prosecutor's office and is not currently a judge.
This was followed by media revelations over potential corruption with regard to the rental property, leased form his stepson, which Laanet normally resides in in Tallinn, and the fact that this has been paid for over a period of several years, dating back to when he was defense minister.
Laanet resigned Saturday afternoon, and the Central Criminal Police initiated a misdemeanor procedure against him the following Monday.
A candidate for new Minister of Justice is expected to be announced this weekend or by the beginning of next week at the latest.
Laanet had formed the selection committee to pick the next circuit court chair, made up of chairs of some of the other courts, including the Supreme Court's criminal chamber, and senior officials from the Ministry of Justice.
It was this committee which picked Siigur over Parmas; the latter has a little under a year left to run in his term as prosecutor general in any case.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
