Chapter II
Fundamental Rights, Freedoms and Duties

§ 24.

In accordance with the procedure provided by law, everyone is entitled to appeal a judgment rendered in his or her case to a higher court.

Chapter 8PRE-COURT PROCEDURE

Division 5Appeal against Activities of Investigative Body or Prosecutor’s Office

§ 228. Appeal against activities of investigative body or Prosecutor’s Office
(1) Before a statement of charges is prepared, a participant in proceedings or a person not subject to the proceedings has the right to file an appeal with the Prosecutor’s Office against a procedural act or order of the investigative body if he or she finds that violation of the procedural requirements in the performance of the procedural act or preparation of the order has resulted in the violation of his or her rights.
(2) Before preparation of a statement of charges, a person specified in subsection (1) of this section has the right to file an appeal with the Office of the Prosecutor General against an order or procedural act of the Prosecutor’s Office.
(3) An appeal specified in subsection (1) or (2) of this section shall be filed directly with the body who is to resolve the appeal or through the person whose order or procedural act is contested.
(4) An appeal shall set out:
1) the name of the Prosecutor’s Office with which the appeal is filed;
2) the given name and surname, status in proceedings, residence or seat and address of the appellant;
3) the order or procedural act contested, the date of the order or procedural act, and the name of the person with regard to whom the order or procedural act is contested;
4) which part of the order or procedural act is contested;
5) the content of and reasons for the requests submitted in the appeal;
6) a list of the documents appended to the appeal.
(5) An appeal filed against the activities of an investigative body or Prosecutor’s Office shall not suspend the execution of the contested order or performance of the procedural act.
(6) If the Prosecutor’s Office receives an appeal specified in subsections (1) and (2) of this section after the statement of charges have been sent to a court according to subsection 226 (3) of this Code, the appeal shall be communicated to the court which hears the criminal matter.
[RT I 2004, 46, 329 - entry into force 01.07.2004]

§ 229. Resolution of appeals by Prosecutor’s Office or Office of Prosecutor General
(1) An appeal filed with the Prosecutor’s Office or the Office of the Prosecutor General shall be resolved within 30 thirty days as of the receipt of the appeal.
(2) When resolving an appeal filed against an order or procedural act of an investigative body or the Prosecutor’s Office, the Prosecutor’s Office or the Office of the Prosecutor General may, by an order:
1) deny the appeal;
2) grant the appeal in full or in part and recognise violation of the rights of the person if the violation can no longer be eliminated;
3) annul the contested order or suspend the contested procedural act in full or in part, thereby eliminating the violation of the rights.
(3) An appellant shall be notified of the right to file an appeal with the county court pursuant to § 230 of this Code.
[RT I 2005, 39, 308 - entry into force 01.01.2006]
(4) An order made when resolving an appeal shall be immediately sent to the investigative body or the Prosecutor’s Office which prepared the contested order or performed the contested procedural act and a copy of the order shall be sent to the appellant.
[RT I, 23.02.2011, 1 - entry into force 01.09.2011]

§ 230. Filing of appeals with county court
(1) If the activities of an investigative body or Prosecutor’s Office in violation of the rights of a person are contested and the person does not agree with the order prepared by the Office of the Prosecutor General who considered the appeal, the person has the right to file an appeal with the preliminary investigation judge of the county court in whose territorial jurisdiction the contested order was prepared or the contested procedural act was performed.
(2) An appeal shall be filed within ten days as of the date when the person became or should have become aware of the contested order.
(3) Appeals shall be filed in writing in accordance with the requirements of clauses 228 (4) 2)-6) of this Code.
[RT I 2006, 21, 160 - entry into force 25.05.2006]

§ 231. Resolution of appeals by county courts
(1) A preliminary investigation judge shall consider the appeal within 30 days as of the receipt of the appeal.
(2) An appeal shall be considered by written procedure within the scope of the appeal and with regard to the person in respect of whom the appeal was filed.
(3) When resolving the appeal, the court may:
1) deny the appeal;
2) grant the appeal in full or in part and recognise a violation of the rights of the person if the violation can no longer be eliminated;
3) annul the contested order or suspend the contested procedural act in full or in part, thereby eliminating the violation of the rights.
(4) A court which receives an appeal may suspend the execution of the contested order or procedural act.
(5) An order of a preliminary investigation judge is final and not subject to appeal, with the exception of orders made to resolve appeals against the course of surveillance activities, non-notification thereof or refusal to submit information collected thereby.
[RT I, 29.06.2012, 2 - entry into force 01.01.2013]

§ 232. Withdrawal of appeal
An appeal filed against the activities of an investigative body, Prosecutor’s Office or the Office of the Prosecutor General may be withdrawn until resolution of the appeal.

Chapter 11PROCEDURE FOR APPEALS

Division 1Appealing to Circuit Court

§ 318. Right of appeal
(1) If a party to judicial proceedings does not consent to the judgment of the court of first instance, the party has the right to file an appeal. The party to judicial proceedings who files an appeal is the appellant in proceedings on that appeal.
(2) A defendant may file an appeal concerning the civil action or proof of claim in public law.
[RT I, 06.01.2016, 5 - entry into force 01.01.2017]
(2.1) The third party may file an appeal against a court judgment with regard to his or her rights or freedoms which are protected by law.
[RT I 2007, 2, 7 - entry into force 01.02.2007]
(2.2) A person may file an appeal even if he or she finds that he or she should have been involved in the proceedings as a victim or a third party. In this case a circuit court shall decide in preliminary proceedings by an order whether the person has to be involved in the proceedings as a victim or a third party.
[RT I, 06.01.2016, 5 - entry into force 01.07.2016]
(3) An appeal may not be filed:
1) by the accused against a judgment of acquittal made by alternative procedure or expedited procedure;
2) by the Prosecutor’s Office against a judgment of conviction made by alternative procedure or expedited procedure, except in the part where a civil action or claim of proof in public law is denied or it is granted partially, if the victim is the state, local authority or another public authority and the Prosecutor’s Office has filed the civil action or proof of claim in public law instead of the representative thereof in accordance with subsection 381 (31), (32) or (33) of this Code;
[RT I, 05.02.2019, 2 - entry into force 15.02.2019]
3) against a judgment made by summary procedure;
4) against a judgment made by settlement procedure, except in the cases specified in subsection (4) of this section;
[RT I, 23.02.2011, 1 - entry into force 01.09.2011]
5) by the Prosecutor’s Office against a judgment of acquittal made on a basis provided for in § 301 of this Code.
(4) A party to judicial proceedings may file an appeal against a judgment made by settlement procedure in the case of a violation of the provisions of Division 2 of Chapter 9 or subsection 339 (1) of this Code. The accused and the counsel may also file an appeal against a judgment made by settlement procedure in the case the act described in the settlement is not a criminal offence, the legal assessment thereof according to the Penal Code is incorrect or if a punishment which is not prescribed by law is imposed on the accused.
[RT I, 23.02.2011, 1 - entry into force 01.09.2011]

§ 319. Term for appeal
(1) The court which made the conclusion of a judgment shall be notified in writing of a wish to exercise the right of appeal within seven days as of the pronunciation of the judgment. If a party to judicial proceedings gives notification of the intention to exercise the right of appeal during the specified term and does not waive it, the remaining parties to judicial proceedings have the right of appeal regardless of whether they themselves have given notification of the intention to exercise the right of appeal. Notice of the intention to exercise the right of appeal may be also given by electronic means.
(2) An appeal is submitted to a circuit court in writing within 15 days as of making the judgment public.
(3) The accused under arrest or his or her counsel may file an appeal within 15 days as of the date following the date of service of a copy of the court judgment on the accused.
(4) The appeal shall be dismissed and returned on the basis of a court order if the term for appeal has expired.
(5) A term for appeal shall suspend upon submission of an application for state legal aid. In such case the term of appeal shall recommence as of the service of the order on adjudication of an application for state legal aid on the counsel or as of refusal to grant state legal aid.
(6) If the court, when resolving a criminal matter, declares in the conclusion of its judgment the legislation of general application subject to application to be in conflict with the Constitution and refuses to apply the legislation of general application, the term for appeal against the legislation of general application which is not applied shall be calculated as of pronunciation of the decision made by way of constitutional review of the Supreme Court.
(7) A circuit court may restore a term for appeal at the request of the appellant if the court finds that the term was allowed to expire for good reason. The circuit court shall make an order on the restoration of or refusal to restore the term.
[RT I, 19.03.2015, 1 - entry into force 29.03.2015]

§ 320. Requirement to submit court file and examination of file
[RT I, 19.03.2015, 1 - entry into force 29.03.2015]
(1) Immediately after receipt of an appeal, a circuit court shall require the county court which conducted proceedings in the matter to submit the court file. After receipt of a request to submit a court file, the county court shall immediately send it to the circuit court.
(2) The accused has the right to examine the court file through his or her counsel.
[RT I, 19.03.2015, 1 - entry into force 29.03.2015]

§ 321. Appeal
(1) Appeals shall be prepared in typewritten form. The accused held in custody may also prepare an appeal in clearly legible handwriting. Appeals prepared by the Prosecutor’s Office or a counsel shall be also forwarded to a court by electronic means.
[RT I 2004, 46, 329 - entry into force 01.07.2004]
(2) An appeal shall set out:
1) the name of the circuit court with which the appeal is filed;
2) the name, status in the proceedings, residence or seat and address and telephone number of the appellant;
[RT I, 19.03.2015, 1 - entry into force 29.03.2015]
3) the name of the court which made the judgment, the date of the judgment, and the name of the accused with regard to whom the judgment is contested;
4) which part of the court judgment is contested, the content of and reasons for the claims of the appellant, and the requests of the appellant;
5) the evidence to be examined in the circuit court at the request of the appellant, and the name and residence or seat and address of the person requested to be summoned to a session of the court of appeal;
5.1) whether the appellant requests an oral procedure;
[RT I, 23.02.2011, 1 - entry into force 01.09.2011]
6) whether the accused wishes to participate in the hearing of the criminal matter in the circuit court or requests that the criminal matter be heard without his or her participation;
7) whether the accused chooses his or her counsel in the appeal proceedings himself or herself or requests the court to appoint a counsel;
[RT I 2004, 46, 329 - entry into force 01.07.2004]
8) a list of the documents appended to the appeal.
(3) An appeal shall be signed and dated by the appellant.
(4) If the accused chooses his or her counsel himself or herself, the address and the telephone number of the counsel shall be indicated in the appeal.
[RT I, 19.03.2015, 1 - entry into force 29.03.2015]
(5) Copies of an appeal for the accused whose interests are concerned by the appeal shall be appended to the appeal. The accused held in custody is not required to append copies of the appeal.
(6) In an appeal, the appellant may rely on evidence not examined in the county court only if he or she submitted the evidence to the county court and it was not accepted or if he or she was unable to submit the evidence to the county court for a good reason not depending on him or her.
[RT I, 23.02.2011, 1 - entry into force 01.09.2011]

§ 321.1. Amendments to appeals
(1) An appellant may amend and supplement a submitted appeal until the end of the term for appeal, and also extend the appeal to the parts of the court judgment which were initially not appealed. Upon amendments to appeals, the provisions concerning appeals shall be observed.
(2) The provisions of subsection (1) of this section do not preclude or restrict the appellant's right to submit allegations concerning the interpretation of law, objections against the submissions of the other party to appeal proceedings in those proceedings, or the right to submit new facts or circumstances which arose or became known to the appellant after the expiry of the term for appeal.
[RT I, 23.02.2011, 1 - entry into force 01.09.2011]

§ 322. Notification of appeal
(1) A circuit court shall give notification of the filing of an appeal to such parties to judicial proceedings whose interests are concerned by the appeal within three days as of the receipt of the appeal.
[RT I, 19.03.2015, 1 - entry into force 29.03.2015]
(2) Together with the notice, a copy of the appeal shall be sent to the accused whose interests are concerned by the appeal.
(3) A party to judicial proceedings has the right to submit written explanations and objections concerning an appeal to the circuit court within seven days as of the receipt of a notice concerning the filing of the appeal.
(4) An objection of a party to judicial proceedings shall set out whether oral procedure is requested.
[RT I, 23.02.2011, 1 - entry into force 01.09.2011]

§ 323. Refusal to proceed with or dismissal of appeal by court which made judgment
[Repealed - RT I, 19.03.2015, 1 - entry into force 29.03.2015]

§ 324. Referral of court file to circuit court
[Repealed - RT I, 19.03.2015, 1 - entry into force 29.03.2015]

Chapter 12CASSATION PROCEDURE

Division 1Appeal to Supreme Court

§ 344. Right of appeal in cassation
(1) A party to judicial proceedings has the right of appeal in cassation on the grounds provided for in § 346 of this Code, if:
1) the right of appeal has been exercised in the interests or against the party;
2) a circuit court has amended or annulled the judgment of a county court.
(2) The person who files a civil action and proof of claim in public law and defendants have the right of appeal in cassation as concerns a civil action or proof of claim in public law.
[RT I, 05.02.2019, 2 - entry into force 15.02.2019]
(2.1) A third party may file an appeal in cassation against a court judgment with regard to his or her rights or freedoms which are protected by law.
[RT I 2007, 2, 7 - entry into force 01.02.2007]
(2.2) A person may file an appeal in cassation also when if he or she finds that he or she should have been involved in the proceedings as a victim or a third party. In this case the Supreme Court, when deciding on the acceptance of the appeal, shall also decide whether the person is to be joined to proceedings as a victim or as a third party.
[RT I, 06.01.2016, 5 - entry into force 01.07.2016]
(3) The following have the right to file an appeal in cassation:
1) the Prosecutor’s Office;
2) an advocate who is a criminal defence counsel;
3) other parties to judicial proceedings, enlisting the assistance of an advocate to file the appeal.
(4) An appellant in cassation is the prosecutor or advocate who filed the appeal in cassation or supports the appeal at a session of the Supreme Court.
(5) An appellant in cassation, the Prosecutor’s Office and a counsel or representative who is an advocate of the party to judicial proceedings whose interests are concerned by the appeal in cassation are parties to cassation proceedings.
[RT I, 23.02.2011, 1 - entry into force 01.09.2011]
(6) The Republic of Estonia may also file an appeal in cassation and participate in cassation proceedings as a victim, civil defendant or third party without the assistance of a representative who is an advocate.
[RT I, 23.02.2011, 1 - entry into force 01.09.2011]