Implementation of the Minister of Justice and Digital Transformation's 2025 submission "Fundamental Principles of Criminal Policy until 2030"
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting
Date: 2025-05-08 13:01
Total Speeches: 56
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 1h 32m
AI Summaries: 56/56 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The first item on the agenda concerned the presentation by the Ministry of Justice and Digital Transformation regarding its 2025 submission, "Fundamental Principles of Criminal Policy Until 2030," and its implementation. The presentation was delivered with a brief overview and factual perspective, during which members of the Riigikogu had the right to pose one question, and parliamentary groups had the opportunity to discuss and, if necessary, clarify questions with the minister. This was also an opportunity to demonstrate how important a science-based and data-driven approach is to crime prevention and policy based on that data. In addition, the broader role of prevention work, evidence-based practices, and digital technology in criminal policy was addressed, and several points highlighted trends related to the health and safety of young people, as well as progress in combating corruption.
Decisions Made 1
The sitting was extended until 2:00 PM or until the agenda is exhausted. The previous proposal, submitted by the Estonian 200 faction on May 1st, was supported by 20 members of the Riigikogu, opposed by 0, and with 0 abstentions. Therefore, the sitting has been extended according to the result of the vote.
Most Active Speaker
The most active speaker was Anti Poolamets (a member of the Ekre faction), whose position on the right and his assessment had placed him in the focus of criticism, extended debate, and objections regarding speeches. His consistent participation, broad examples, and sharp comments reflect his role in the right-wing political direction.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
At the first item on the agenda, an overview will be given of the implementation of the Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs' 2025 presentation “Foundations of Criminal Policy up to 2030,” and the procedure for the proceedings will be explained, in which every member of the Riigikogu may pose one question and the factions may participate; if necessary, the minister will respond.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Justice and Digital Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta told the Riigikogu that although Estonia is generally safe, crime has risen, and the biggest concerns are thefts, violence, juvenile crime, frauds and driving under the influence, as well as youth vaping and nicotine use, which must be prevented using digital technology and an evidence-based approach, and it is important to increase tobacco control and the transparency of lobbyists' meetings.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman notes that the audience has many questions, and asks Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvarti.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
In the presentation, Kovalenko-Kõlvart emphasizes updating lobbying registers and finding consensus, but poses a separate question regarding the Pihlakodu rape case: the prosecution has not initiated proceedings against a legal entity, this provision is new and there is no case law, and he asks the minister why the proceedings were not initiated, what signal this sends to society, and whether the legislature has adopted the provision, the application of which today yields no case law.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller announces that the speaker will take the floor and thanks the audience.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
I would like to thank the anti-corruption initiative and, in light of the Pihlakodu case, emphasise that the employer's liability must not extend so broadly that he is punished merely because he was unable to prevent anything, and we strive to balance the increase in transparency in lobbyist communications.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-Chairman Arvo Aller asks Urmas Kruuse to take the floor.
Urmas Kruuse
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Urmas Kruuse notes that in public debate there is discussion about when and how much information from the prosecution should be disclosed, because this could lead to people being found guilty before a court ruling, and he points to the need for cultural changes and explains how the system learns and analyzes, in cases of long- and weak-materials, the returned proceedings.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
The briefing emphasizes that the prosecutor's office should not share comments before issuing a definite assessment, and that freedom of the press must be balanced with the protection of human dignity, and the Prosecution's Supervisory Department will prepare a written overview of the corrective actions in the workplace.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Arvo Aller asked Madis Timpson to take the floor.
Madis Timpson
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Madis Timpson discusses prison policy and the number of prisoners, recalls that Estonia once had around 3,500 prisoners and that there are now fewer of them, and asks how much it costs the state per month to maintain one prisoner.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
To reduce crime and costs to taxpayers through an evidence-based approach, Estonia should promote phased release together with stricter behavioral monitoring and rehabilitation, so that the prison system can help people reintegrate into society after release and reduce recidivism.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Arvo Aller asked Vadim Belobrovtsev to take the floor.
Vadim Belobrovtsev
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Belobrovtsev pointed out that the Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs plans, through a legal amendment, to reduce the number of detainees and to allow about half of the future detainees to be released ahead of schedule without a court ruling, which reflects savings in state expenditures and raises the question of whether this is a new trend for the future.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
The briefing confirms that no one will be released from prison without a court decision, and the plan is a gradual release with criminal supervision and an emergency brake, the aim of which is to reduce recidivism and affect about 400 people per year.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The speaker invites Vladimir Arhipov.
Vladimir Arhipov
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Cases of sexual abuse that occurred at the Pihlakodu nursing home have raised serious questions about the Estonian legal system and the supervision of care institutions, and it is asked how the ministry intends to cooperate with the Ministry of Social Affairs, the police and the prosecutor's office to ensure rapid response and the prevention of similar cases.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Pakosta said that at the initiative of the Ministry of Social Affairs a working group has been formed and a draft amendment to the law is being prepared, according to which the prosecutor's office could send a person directly from detention to a specialized care home, if a crime has been committed and the person is incurably ill with a mental health problem; the working group looks at issues more broadly, including the Pihlakodu case and the question of care homes.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chair Arvo Aller invites Urve Tiiduse onto the stage.
Urve Tiidus
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Urve Tiidus raises the question about the 92 deaths caused by drug overdoses and about the 16 million euros in losses due to cyber fraud, and asks how many intermediaries and perpetrators of scams have been caught and how extensive is international cooperation.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
International cooperation is important in the fight against drugs and scams, but just as important is every person's vigilance and reporting to the police in order to stop crime and, in particular, to improve the safety of minors.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Peeter Ernits was invited to speak.
Peeter Ernits
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Peeter Ernits asks the minister whether a swindler has called him and how often, and whether this is connected to scams aimed at women, and asks to describe who is calling him and what proposals or PIN codes he is asked to show.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Liisa-Ly Pakosta said that every suspicious call should be ended immediately and its phone number forwarded to the police, because it is not certain whether the people who answer the calls are profiled, and some calls may be random numbers.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invites Andre Hanimägi onto the stage.
Andre Hanimägi
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Andre Hanimägi proposed creating an anti-fraud action plan, which would consolidate best practices and, if necessary, also legal amendments, in order to reduce fraud and strengthen the protection of vulnerable people.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
According to Justice and Digital Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta, the spread of cyber fraud is a global phenomenon, and the most effective prevention is informing and open dialogue, because if people do not fall into the trap of a scam, the damage is preventable, although catching criminals is difficult and this requires international cooperation and a broad-based public information campaign, for example tips distributed to mailboxes for self-help.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice Chairman Arvo Aller invited Kristina Šmigun-Vähi to speak.
Kristina Šmigun-Vähi
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
They ask how, at the local level, juvenile delinquency prevention could be strengthened, taking into account the complex problem and factors such as family support, school violence, and social exclusion.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Local authorities play a very large role in preventing youth crime, which must be addressed through close cooperation between schools, child protection services, the police, and families, providing rapid assistance, access to psychological counseling, early work and sports activities from the age of 13, and the implementation of evidence-based methods to keep young people on the right track and reduce the risk of NEET.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invites Riina Solman to take the floor.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman poses a two-part question: firstly, whether Pihlakodu was allowed to contractually employ a male caregiver and who should supervise the personnel; secondly, she asks for an ethical or moral assessment of the Supreme Court's decision, what the Supreme Court had in mind, and in which direction regulation could go.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Against the backdrop of the Supreme Court's ruling, Liisa-Ly Pakosta stressed that guaranteeing human dignity in nursing homes and a broader ethical discussion on the issue of taking one's own life are very necessary in society, and if we have agreed that a person may decide over their own life, they must also be able to decide the dignity of the end of their life.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is a brief request to invite Evelin Poolamets onto the stage.
Evelin Poolamets
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Evelin Poolamets notes that Estonia is at the forefront of the world when it comes to press freedom, freedom of speech, and freedom of opinion, but asks how truly free our freedom of expression is if it depends on whether someone’s views are agreeable or not, and asks for a comment on the progress of drafting the hate speech law.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Estonia is not moving in this direction, freedom of speech is a constitutional value and we will uphold it without hesitation, and we will adopt the European Union's 2009 Framework Decision on hate speech narrowly, in exactly the form in which all the parties in the Riigikogu unanimously praised it.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller asked Hanah Lahet to speak.
Hanah Lahe
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Hanah Lahe expressed concern that sexual crimes in Estonia are punished too leniently, and that blaming victims and insufficient evidence create problems for the justice system, and she asked what steps the state will take so that such crimes would be punished much more severely in the future.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
In Estonia, penalties for sexual offences are already very strict by European standards, but an extremely important consent law is on the agenda, which unambiguously states that a sexual act is not permissible without the other party's consent, improving victims' sense of safety and preventing crimes, while preserving the presumption of innocence, and this bill will reach the Riigikogu this year.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This sentence is a plea to invite Helle-Moonika Helme onto the stage.
Helle-Moonika Helme
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Helle-Moonika Helme asks whether politically motivated criminal cases initiated for reasons put forward by a journalist would lead Estonia's criminal policy in a new direction, and whether the minister is responsible for restricting freedom of speech in such proceedings.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Liisa-Ly Pakosta said that she could not agree with any part of your hypothesis in any way.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
He thanks, ends the questioning and opens negotiations with the factions, saying that Jaanus Karilaid acts on behalf of the Isamaa faction under its authority.
Jaanus Karilaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaanus Karilaid claims that the policies of the Reform Party government and Estonia 200 have caused an increase in crime, and their consequences manifest as long and costly court proceedings that harm citizens, and he calls on the state to focus on protecting citizens' rights and on reforming the legal system.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The speech emphasizes the need to add three more minutes.
Jaanus Karilaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaanus Karilaid emphasizes the state's responsibility for those processes in which people's lives are taken away for years, recommends speeding up decriminalization and preventive work, criticizes the use of mass settlements as a violation of justice, and accuses the government of an economic policy that increases poverty and crime.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chair thanked and invited Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvarti to speak on behalf of the EK faction, and asked for three more minutes.
Anastassia Kovalenko-Kõlvart
Profiling Eesti Keskerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
The Pihlakodu case shows how the state and the prosecution have sent false signals to rape victims, and although the provision on the liability of a legal entity was created to prevent such cases and to establish a precedent, no investigation was started that would strengthen the protection of victims.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Anti Poolamets expresses thanks and represents the EKRE faction on its behalf, and submits a request.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets asks for three minutes of extra time.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Arvo Aller asks for three more minutes.
Anti Poolamets
Profiling Eesti Konservatiivse Rahvaerakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Anti Poolamets criticizes the irresponsibility of the justice system and calls for taking responsibility, referring to money laundering, the Lehtme and Pihlakodu cases, and telephone frauds, and emphasizes the importance of prevention and international cooperation, including the prevention of drug crimes and alcohol abuse.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller thanks and invites the minister to take the floor.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Pakosta acknowledged that although crime rates fluctuate, there is a need to speed up the court process, increase the flexibility and specialization of the judiciary, and jointly implement the proposals, ensure assistance to victims and severe punishment for rapists, and confirm that the Prosecutor's Office is handling money-laundering investigations and that the Johanna-Maria Lehtme case is moving forward, while emphasizing that the state protects people's rights.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Arvo Aller informed that the first item on the agenda has been dealt with and that the Eesti 200 faction's proposal to extend today's Riigikogu session until the agenda is exhausted will be put to a vote, but no later than 14:00.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Twenty Riigikogu members were in favor of the proposal, 0 against and 0 abstaining; the session was extended until 14:00 or until the agenda was exhausted.