Implementation of the 2025 presentation of the Minister of Justice and Digital Transformation, "Fundamental Principles of Legislation Policy Until 2030"
Session: 15th Riigikogu, 5th session, plenary sitting
Date: 2025-05-08 14:33
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 24
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 53m
AI Summaries: 24/24 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
Justice and Digital Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta presented a report to the Riigikogu on the implementation of "Principles of Legislation Policy until 2030." The Minister began on a positive note, highlighting an OECD study, according to which Estonia ranks fourth among 36 countries in terms of transparency and impact assessment in legislation, and ninth in terms of stakeholder involvement. Last year, 47% of Estonian domestic laws (186 laws) were amended, and the number of extremely urgent bills decreased.
The report focused on two main themes: the quality of constitutional conformity analysis and the reduction of excessive administrative burden. The Minister emphasized the importance of constitutional conformity analysis in preventing excessive restrictions on freedoms and stated that the quality of the analysis has improved, but is not yet good enough. She supported the proposal by advocate Hannes Vallikivi to change the structure of explanatory memoranda so that constitutional conformity analysis is always in a separate chapter. To reduce administrative burden, the Minister introduced a new, more robust government approach that requires the submission of a bill reducing burden for each new initiative creating administrative burden ("one-in, one-out" principle), abandoning the previous principle of voluntariness. The review of 4000 regulations and the consideration of artificial intelligence in legislation were also mentioned.
During the debate, members of the Riigikogu criticized, especially Varro Vooglaid, the fact that, despite the existing rules of legislation and regulatory technique (HÕNTE), constitutional conformity analysis is still lacking in many government bills. Vooglaid demanded that the obligation to perform the analysis remain absolute and made a proposal that the Riigikogu leadership would not place inadequate bills on the agenda. The Minister responded that, in the case of extremely technical amendments (e.g., changing the name of an institution), a brief justification for the lack of analysis is sufficient to avoid pointless "word-spinning". Riina Solman raised the issue of clarity in the chain of responsibility in legislation, in the context of the Pihlakodu case.
Decisions Made 1
Decisions were not made.
Most Active Speaker
Varro Vooglaid (EKRE faction, right-wing) was the most active critical speaker during the presentation and deliberations, focusing on the mandatory nature of constitutional analysis and presenting specific proposals to the Riigikogu board to resolve the issue.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Let us discuss today's second item on the agenda, which concerns Liisa-Ly Pakosta, the Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs, and her 2025 presentation “Foundations of the Legislation Policy Until 2030” and its implementation.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta noted that Estonia's legal system is in a good position in OECD comparisons and must remain high-quality, transparent, and constitutional, while reducing excessive bureaucracy and ensuring that every draft proposal reduces the burden, and that, if necessary, artificial intelligence would be used for the oversight of regulations.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
Vice-chairman Arvo Aller thanks and invites to the Q&A session, and asks Madis Timpson to continue with his presentation.
Madis Timpson
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Madis Timpson highlighted in his speech the analysis of constitutionality and the issue of administrative burden, noting that the burden increased for 25 draft bills and decreased for eight, pointed to the absence of 13 draft bills in the analysis, and asked whether there is a single structure agreed at the roundtable of legislative-drafting jurists and whether the minister has been included as a member of that roundtable.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
According to Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta, a draft guideline for constitutional analysis is being prepared, with all ministries and officials involved in its preparation, and its aim is to provide a high-quality and substantive analysis, to avoid formal and contentless work, and, if necessary, to explain why some technical change does not require an analysis, provided that it does not infringe anyone's rights and freedoms.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
This is vice-chairman Arvo Alleri's request to invite Urve Tiidus onto the stage.
Urve Tiidus
Profiling Eesti Reformierakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Urve Tiidus stressed that the adoption of cybersecurity regulations is inevitable, because the damages from cybercrime are rising and could reach 10.5 trillion dollars worldwide by 2025, and in her view this draft is more practically impactful than the sustainability report, which has faced strong criticism.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
The speech emphasizes that cybersecurity is extremely important, because cyberattacks can disrupt vital services, and it recommends making the rules simpler and with a low administrative burden, using automated controls, and ensuring high standards and a balance between freedom and competitiveness.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The vice-chairman Arvo Aller invites Varro Vooglaid to speak.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid emphasized that constitutional analysis must be present in all Government of the Republic's draft bills, and asked the Minister of Justice to share the draft of this guideline with the Riigikogu's stakeholders, while criticizing the view that the analysis is not always necessary in cases where rights are not infringed, and illustrating this with a traffic example of how an ordinary citizen could adopt the same attitude.
Aseesimees Arvo Aller
AI Summary
The speech emphasizes that now is your time, and ends with a word of thanks.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
The Minister of Justice and Digital Affairs Liisa-Ly Pakosta said that a constitutional analysis must be substantive and not merely a string of words, and that for purely technical changes, a sentence stating that the analysis is not needed is sufficient.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar asks Riina Solman to speak.
Riina Solman
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Riina Solman expresses concern about the risk that the Pihlakodu case will be forgotten and calls on the legislature to define a clear chain of responsibility, asking who should be responsible and what the accountability of nursing home managers is if they knowingly allowed a person who should not have been working to work alone, and emphasizes that a clear message must reach society and the loved ones, and until the state demonstrates accountability, an informal culture of leniency arises that sends the signal that it is better to pay extra so that a loved one is safe.
Justiits- ja digiminister Liisa-Ly Pakosta
AI Summary
Justice and Digital Minister Liisa-Ly Pakosta stressed that the rise in dementia and the mental health issues in nursing homes require updating legislation, and that for victims there is both criminal and civil liability and the state provides legal aid, but in the Pihlakodu case it was assessed that the nursing home did not have grounds for criminal proceedings, however compensation for damages and strengthening preventive work are necessary, and a balance must be found between supervision and privacy.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker thanks you for the thorough answer, announces the start of negotiations, and emphasizes that only representatives of the factions may speak; first, authorized by the Isamaa faction, Jaanus Karilaiu asks for the floor at the Riigikogu podium and asks whether additional time is needed.
Jaanus Karilaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
The message is that the topic is being reviewed on an ongoing basis.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The chairman Lauri Hussar asks that it be viewed in real time and invites Jaanus Karilaidi.
Jaanus Karilaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaanus Karilaid emphasized the need to preserve the autonomy and independence of judges and stated that judiciary reform must be based on the citizen's point of view, avoid centralization, and ensure a proper role for Parliament and a reduction of bureaucracy so that society functions better.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar announced that the discussion time would be extended by three minutes.
Jaanus Karilaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Jaanus Karilaid emphasized that a swift and effective action plan must be implemented to reduce bureaucracy, rather than allowing administrative burden to grow, and that laws must be in accordance with the constitution, which is ensured by parliament, ministries, and, if necessary, the president's veto.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
On behalf of the EKRE faction, you are asked to invite Varro Vooglaiu to the podium to speak and to grant three minutes of additional time.
Varro Vooglaid
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Varro Vooglaid emphasized that the explanatory notes for all government proposals must include an analysis of constitutionality, and he proposed a four-stage solution: ministries must not submit proposals with incomplete analysis, the Minister of Justice does not approve them, the Riigikogu committees do not put them on the agenda, and the Riigikogu leadership does not allow them on the agenda, and all members of the Riigikogu should be offered additional training to assess constitutionality.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar declared the talks closed, the agenda exhausted, and today’s Riigikogu session has ended.