15 Years of Legal Reforms in Estonia

Programme [PDF]

Thursday, 19 October

9.00–10.00 Registration and morning coffee
10.00 Opening address by Rein Lang, Minister of Justice

Morning plenary (Vanemuine Concert Hall)

Chairs: Professor Kalle Merusk, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Tartu;
Chairman of the Estonian Academic Law Society
Ingrid Siimann, Acting President of the Estonian Lawyers’ Union

10.15–10.40 Ph.D. Jüri Raidla Start of Legal Reforms: from the War of Laws to the Constitution
Attorney-at-law, Law Office Raidla & Partners
10.40–11.05 Professor Jean-Pierre Massias The Role of Constitutional Law in Democratic Transition Process
University of Auvergne (Clermont-Ferrand), Editor of the journal La Revue de Justice Constitutionnelle Est-Européenne
11.05–11.30 Professor Paul Varul New Private Law – Why This and What will Happen Next?
Professor of Civil Law, University of Tartu; Editor-in-chief of the journals Juridica and Juridica International

Afternoon plenary (Vanemuine Concert Hall)

Chairs: Märt Rask, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
Priidu Pärna, Member of Presidency, Estonian Lawyers’ Union

12.00–12.25 Professor Valentinas Mikelenas Civil Law and Civil Procedural Law Reforms in Lithuania
Professor, University of Vilnius
12.25–12.50 Dr.iur. Hannes Veinla Environmental Impact of Development Projects: Economy versus the Environment
Docent of Environmental Law, University of Tartu
12.50–13.15 Martin Hirvoja Updating Economic Crime Law in Estonia – Foundations and Emphases
Deputy Secretary General of Criminal Policy, Ministry of Justice

First private law section – Interpretation and Implementation Problems Related to the Law of Obligations (Vanemuine Concert Hall)

Chairs: Professor Paul Varul, Professor of Civil Law, University of Tartu
Aivar Pilv, Chairman, Estonian Bar Association

15.00-15.20 Mag.iur. Villu Kõve Practical Implementation of the Law of Obligations Act – Important Development Trends and Setbacks
Justice of the Supreme Court, Lecturer of Civil Law, University of Tartu
Supplementary presentations
15.20-15.30 Dr.iur. Irene Kull Acknowledgement of Obligation and Provision of Security
Docent of Civil Law, University of Tartu
15.30-15.40 Dr.iur. Martin Käerdi General Principles of Contractual Liability in the Law of Obligations Act and their Realisation in Judicial Practice
Lecturer of Civil Law, University of Tartu
15.40-15.50 Dr.iur. Kalev Saare Problems of Default Interest Claims
Docent of Civil Law, University of Tartu; Attorney-at-law, Law Office Lepik & Luhaäär
15.50-16.00 Mag.iur. Tambet Tampuu Liability under the Law of Obligations for Another Individual’s Delict
Justice of the Supreme Court; Lecturer of Civil Law, University of Tartu
16.00-17.00 Discussion

First public law section – Legal Problems of Regional and Local Government Administration (Iuridicum II, Näituse 13A–201)

Chairs: Professor Kalle Merusk, Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law, University of Tartu
Sulev Lääne, Advisor to Minister of Internal Affairs

Presentations by: Docent Vallo Olle, Professor Sulev Mäeltsemees, Professor Arno Almann, Tallinn City Secretary Toomas Sepp, Pärnu County Governor Toomas Kivimägi
16.00-17.00 Discussion

First penal law section – Sanction System and Punishment Practice (Iuridicum II, Näituse 13A–101)

Chairs: Norman Aas, Chief Public Prosecutor
Ph.D. Jaan Ginter, Docent of Criminology, University of Tartu

15.00-15.45 Professor Raimo Lahti The Total Reform of Finnish Criminal Law from a European Perspective
Professor of Criminal Law, University of Helsinki
15.45-16.15 Ph.D. Jaan Ginter Sanction System and Punishment Practice: Recent Development Trends in Estonia
Docent of Criminology, University of Tartu
16.15-17.00 Discussion

Friday, 20 October

Second private law section (University of Tartu Hall)

9.00–13.30 Working session of the Section, coffee break 11.00–11.30

Chairs: Ants Kull, Chairman, Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court
Tarvo Puri, Member, Board of the Chamber of Notaries

Family Law Problems
9.00-9.20 LL.M. Kai Kullerkupp Family Law – Current Situation and Future Prospects
Judge, Tallinn Circuit Court; Lecturer of Civil Law, University of Tartu
Supplementary presentations
9.20-9.30 Lea Laarmaa Proprietary Rights of Spouses (Based on the Judicial Practice of the Supreme Court)
Justice of the Supreme Court
9.30-9.40 Malle Seppik Cohabitation – Legal Meaning and Prospects
Judge, Tallinn Circuit Court
9.40-9.50 Mag.iur. Kersti Kerstna-Vaks Appointment of Guardian for Adults with Restricted Legal Competence: Developments and Problems
Judge, Tartu County Court
9.50-10.00 Piret Blankin Maintenance Obligations in Family Law
Attorney-at-law, Law Office Aivar Pilv
10.00-11.00 Discussion

Law of Succession Reforms
11.30-11.50 LL.M. Urmas Volens Proposed Reform of Law of Succession
Deputy Secretary General for Legal Policy, Ministry of Justice
Supplementary presentations
11.50-12.00 Anne Saaber Strengths and Weaknesses of the New Law of Succession Act from the Perspective of a First-level Implementer
Notary
12.00-12.10 Ivo Mahhov Law of Succession Act in 2006 – Is the Right of Succession Secured in Estonia?
Attorney-at-law, Law Office Välisõigusabi
12.10-12.20 Urve Liin Effective Succession Procedure
Assistant of Civil Law, University of Tartu
12.20-12.30 Viivi Tomson Right to Compulsory Portion in Succession
Judge, Tartu Circuit Court
12.30-13.30 Discussion

Second public law section Problems of Environmental Impact: Economy versus the Environment (Iuridicum II, Näituse 13A–201)

9.00–13.30 Working session of the Section, coffee break 11.00–11.30

Chair: Dr.iur. Hannes Veinla, Docent of Environmental Law, University of Tartu

Dr.iur. Hannes Veinla Nature versus Economy in the Sites of Natura 2000 (European Union-wide Network of Nature Conservation Sites)
Docent of Environmental Law, University of Tartu
LL.M. Kaarel Relve Monitoring of Development Activities by Environmental Bodies: the Right of All Bodies or the Right of the Privileged?
Lecturer of Environmental Law, University of Tartu
Pihel Sarv Environmental Issues related to Planning
Master Student, University of Tartu
Mag.iur. Evelin Lopman Transposition Problems of the EC Environmental Liability Directive
Jurisconsult, Department of Law, Ministry of the Environment

Second penal law section (Iuridicum II, Näituse 13A–101)

9.00–13.30 Working session of the Section, coffee break 11.00–11.30

Chairs: Professor Jaan Sootak, Professor of Criminal Law, University of Tartu
Hannes Kiris, Chairman, Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court

9.00-9.45 Marju Agarmaa Expanded Confiscation of Proceeds of Crime
Advisor to Department of Criminal Policy, Ministry of Justice
9.45-10.15 Juhan Sarv Damage as Element of Offence in Penal Law versus Damage in Civil Law
Advisor to Criminal Chamber of the Supreme Court
10.15-11.00 Discussion

Criminal Liability of a Legal Person
Chair: Dr.iur. Priit Pikamäe, Justice of the Supreme Court

11.30-12.15 Professor Jean Pradel Topical Issues of Criminal Liability of a Legal Person in European Comparison
Professor Emeritus Criminal Law, University of Poitiers
12.15-12.45 Elina Elkind Topical Issues of Criminal Liability of a Legal Person in Estonian Penal Law
Master Student, University of Tartu
12.45-13.30 Discussion

Final session (University of Tartu Hall)

Chairs: Ingrid Siimann, Acting President of the Estonian Lawyers’ Union
Professor Kalle Merusk, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Tartu;
Chairman of the Estonian Academic Law Society
14.00 Podium discussion. Work results of Sections.