County courts

County Courts

County courts as courts of first instance hear all civil, criminal and misdemeanour matters. The decisions of county courts can be appealed to the circuit court.

There are four county courts in Estonia:

Harju County Court has 66 judges who are divided between courthouses as follows:

1) Liivalaia Courthouse – 21 judges;
2) Kentmanni Courthouse – 34 judges;
3) Tartu Road Courthouse – 11 judges.

Viru County Court has 30 judges who are divided between courthouses as follows:

2) Jõhvi Courthouse – 12 judges;
2) Narva Courthouse – 10 judges;
3) Rakvere Courthouse – 8 judges.

Pärnu County Court has 22 judges who are divided between courthouses as follows:

1) Pärnu Courthouse – 10 judges;
2) Haapsalu Courthouse – 3 judges;
3) Kuressaare Courthouse – 3 judges;
4) Rapla Courthouse – 3 judges;
5) Järva Courthouse – 3 judges.

Tartu County Court has 35 judges who are divided between courthouses as follows:

1) Tartu Courthouse – 15 judges;
2) Jõhvi Courthouse – 4 judges;
3) Viljandi Courthouse – 5 judges;
4) Valga Courthouse – 4 judges;
5) Võru Courthouse – 4 judges;
6) Põlva Courthouse – 3 judges.

The structure of county and city courts comprises a land registry department, a registration department and a probation supervision department. The land registry department maintains a land register and marital property register. The registration departments of courts maintain a commercial register, non-profit associations and foundations register, commercial pledge register and ship register. Probation supervision includes monitoring the behaviour of a probationer and performance of the obligations imposed on the latter by the court or prosecutor and promotes social adaptation of probationers for the purpose of keeping them from committing crimes.

Civil proceedings in a county court are regulated by the Code of Civil Procedure, criminal proceedings by the Code of Criminal Procedure and in misdemeanour proceedings by the Code of Misdemeanour Procedure.