Chapter 18ENTRY INTO FORCE AND ENFORCEMENT OF COURT DECISIONS

Division 2Enforcement of Punishments

§ 417. Enforcement and execution of pecuniary punishments
(1) A court judgment ordering pecuniary punishment which has entered into force shall be sent to the institution designated by a directive of the Minister responsible for the area.
[RT I, 28.12.2011, 1 - entry into force 01.01.2012]
(2) If a convicted offender has failed to pay the amount of the pecuniary punishment imposed on him or her to the prescribed account in full within one month after the entry into force of the court judgment or by the specified due date or if the terms for the payment of instalments of an amount of pecuniary punishment are not complied with and the term for payment of the amount of pecuniary punishment or a fine to the extent of assets has not been extended or apportioned pursuant to the procedure provided for in this Code, a copy of the court judgment shall be sent to a bailiff within ten days as of the receipt thereof.
[RT I, 06.01.2016, 5 - entry into force 16.01.2016]
(3) If a convicted offender fails to pay the pecuniary punishment or fine to the extent of assets by the designated due date or comply with the terms for payment of an apportioned pecuniary punishment and the term for payment of the amount of pecuniary punishment or a fine to the extent of assets has not been extended or apportioned pursuant to the procedure provided for in § 424 of this Code and a convicted offender has no assets against which a claim for payment could be made, the bailiff shall give notice to the county court that payment is impossible not later than three years after he or she accepted the pecuniary punishment or fine to the extent of assets for collection and not later than seven years after the entry into force of the court judgment. If there are no circumstances which preclude substitution of punishment, the judge in charge of execution of court judgments shall decide on the substitution of the pecuniary punishment or fine to the extent of assets pursuant to the procedure provided for in §§ 70 and 71 of the Penal Code. The court shall notify the convicted offender and bailiff of substitution of the pecuniary punishment or fine to the extent of assets.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.07.2014]
(4) If an amount of pecuniary punishment has been paid in part, the paid part shall be taken into account upon determination of the duration of the substitutive punishment in proportion to the paid amount. A judge in charge of execution of court judgments shall resolve the entry of the substitutive punishment in accordance with the rules provided in subsections 432 (1) and (3) of this Code. A copy of the order shall be sent to participants in proceedings concerned and to the bailiff.
[RT I 2005, 39, 308 - entry into force 01.01.2006]

§ 418. Waiver of enforcement of pecuniary punishment
(1) The judge in charge of execution of court judgments at the county court of the residence of a convicted offender may waive the enforcement of a pecuniary punishment by an order if:
1) a sentence of imprisonment is imposed on the convicted offender in another criminal matter and the sentence is enforced;
2) execution of the pecuniary punishment may endanger the resocialization of the convicted offender;
3) circumstances provided for in § 416 of this Code exist.
(2) On the bases provided for in subsection (1) of this section, a judge in charge of execution of court judgments may also waive collection of the procedure expenses from the convicted offender.
[RT I 2005, 39, 308 - entry into force 01.01.2006]

Chapter 19INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

Division 5Recognition and Compliance with Judgements of States Not Participating in Cooperation in criminal proceedings among Member States of European Union
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 476. Assistance in recognition and execution of judgments of foreign courts
Assistance may be provided to a requesting state in the execution of a punishment for an offence if a request together with the court judgment which has entered into force or an authenticated copy thereof has been submitted to the Ministry of Justice.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 477. Scope of assistance
(1) In addition to the provisions of § 436 of this Code, no assistance shall be provided to a requesting state in the execution of a punishment or any other sanction imposed in the requesting state if:
1) the court judgment which is the basis for the request has not entered into force;
2) the judgment was not made by an independent and impartial court;
3) the judgment was made by default;
4) the right of defence was not ensured to the accused or the criminal proceedings were not conducted in a language understandable to him or her;
5) the act for the commission of which a punishment or any other sanction was imposed is not punishable as a criminal offence pursuant to the Penal Code of Estonia or the Penal Code does not prescribe such punishment or sanction;
6) an Estonian court has convicted the person on the same charges, or commencement of criminal proceedings with regard to him or her has been refused or the criminal proceedings have been terminated;
7) pursuant to Estonian law, the limitation period for the execution of the court judgment or the decision of another authority has expired;
8) the judgment was made on a person less than fourteen years of age;
9) the judgement or decision was made with regard to a person who enjoys immunities or privileges on the basis of clause 4 2) of this Code.
(2) If a person has been sentenced to imprisonment in a foreign state, a request for assistance in the execution of the punishment may be granted if the person is a citizen of Estonia and the written consent of the person to his or her surrender in order to continue service of the punishment in Estonia has been appended to the request. The consent shall not be waived after making the final decision on surrender.
(3) If a court judgment made with regard to a citizen of the Republic of Estonia, or an administrative act relating to such judgment contains an order to expel the person from the state immediately after his or her release from imprisonment, the person may be surrendered without his or her consent.
(4) If a judgment on confiscation made in a requesting state concerns a person not subject to the proceedings, the judgment shall not be executed if:
1) such third party has not been given the opportunity to protect his or her interests; or
2) the judgment is in conflict with a decision made in the same matter on the basis of the Code of civil procedure pursuant to Estonian law.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 478. Proceedings concerning requests for execution of court judgments submitted by foreign states
(1) The Ministry of Justice shall verify whether a request is in compliance with the requirements and has the required supporting documents and, in the case of compliance, shall immediately forward the request to a court and the Office of the Prosecutor General.
(2) The surrender of or refusal to surrender a person sentenced to imprisonment shall be decided by a court.
(3) Execution of a court judgment by which a person has been sentenced to imprisonment in a requesting state shall be continued without amending the judgment if the term of the imprisonment imposed on the person in the requesting state corresponds to the punishment prescribed for the same criminal offence by the Penal Code of Estonia.
(4) If necessary, additional information is requested from the foreign state through the Ministry of Justice and a term for reply is determined.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 479. Taking into custody and holding in custody for purposes of execution of foreign court judgment
(1) If a request for the execution of a court judgment is received from a foreign state, the person staying in Estonia with regard to whom the execution of the court judgment by which the person has been sentenced to imprisonment is requested may be taken into custody at the request of a prosecutor and on the basis of an order of a preliminary investigation judge if there is reason to believe that the person evades execution of the court judgment.
(2) A person shall not be taken into custody if it is evident that execution of the court judgment is impossible.
(3) A person shall be released from custody if within three months as of his or her taking into custody the court has not made a judgment on the recognition and enforcement of the court judgment of the requesting state.
(4) An arrest warrant may be appealed by the person taken into custody, his or her counsel, or the Prosecutor’s Office.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 480. Participation of counsel in recognition and execution of judgments of foreign courts
(1) Participation of a counsel in the proceedings of recognition and execution of judgments of foreign courts is mandatory if the following is decided:
1) recognition of a judgment on confiscation;
2) taking a person into custody and holding a person in custody for the purpose of execution of a foreign court judgment;
3) recognition of a sentence of imprisonment imposed on a person;
4) surrender of a person for service of sentence.
(2) A person has the right to also request the participation of a defence counsel in the cases not specified in subsection (1) of this section.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 481. Jurisdiction over recognition of foreign court judgments
Harju County Court shall decide on the recognition of foreign court judgments.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 482. Court procedure for recognition of foreign court judgments
(1) Recognition of a foreign court judgment shall be decided by a judge sitting alone. A court session where recognition of a foreign court judgment is heard shall be held within thirty days as of the receipt of the request by the court.
(2) If necessary, additional information is requested from a foreign state through the Ministry of Justice and a term for reply is determined.
(3) Persons not subject to the proceedings whose interests are concerned by a court judgment may be summoned to a court session if they are in Estonia. In deciding on confiscation, the participation of a third party or his or her authorised representative is mandatory.
(4) The participation of a prosecutor in a court session is mandatory.
(5) Minutes shall be taken of court sessions.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 483. Court orders made in recognition and enforcement of foreign court judgments
(1) In deciding on the recognition of a foreign court judgment, a court shall make one of the following orders:
1) to declare execution of the foreign court judgment admissible;
2) to declare execution of the foreign court judgment inadmissible, or
3) to terminate the proceedings, if the person has performed his or her obligations before the court session.
(2) If execution of a court judgment is not permitted, the court shall send a copy of the court order to the Ministry of Justice. The Ministry of Justice shall notify the foreign state of the refusal to execute a foreign court judgment.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 484. Specification of punishment imposed in foreign state
(1) If a court declares execution of a foreign court judgment admissible, the court shall determine the punishment to be executed in Estonia. The punishment imposed in the foreign state shall be compared to the punishment prescribed for the same act by the Penal Code of Estonia.
(2) A specified punishment shall by nature as much as possible correspond to the punishment imposed in the foreign state. The court shall take into account the degree of the punishment imposed in the foreign state but the punishment shall not exceed the maximum rate prescribed by the sanction specified in the corresponding section of the Penal Code of Estonia.
(3) If the term of a punishment has not been determined in a foreign state, the court shall determine the punishment in accordance with the principles of the Penal Code of Estonia.
(4) It is not permitted to aggravate a punishment imposed in a foreign state.
(5) If probation is applied with regard to a person or he or she is released on parole in a foreign state, the court shall apply the provisions of the Penal Code of Estonia.
(6) Pecuniary punishments, fines to the extent of assets and amounts subject to confiscation shall be converted into euros on the basis of the exchange rate applicable on the date of specification of the punishment.
(7) In the specification of a punishment, the time spent in imprisonment or held in custody on the basis of § 479 of this Code in a foreign state shall be included in the term of the punishment.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 485. Order on specification of judgment of foreign court
(1) A court shall decide the specification of a foreign court judgment by an order.
(2) An order shall set out the extent to which a foreign court judgment is recognised and specify the punishment to be executed in Estonia.
(3) A court shall send a copy of an order which has entered into force to the criminal records database and the Minister of Justice. The Ministry of Justice shall notify the foreign state of compliance with the request and of the specified punishment.
(4) Appeals may be filed against an order provided for in subsection (1) of this section by the accused, counsel, third parties and the Prosecutor’s Office.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 486. Execution of specified punishments
(1) Punishments shall be executed pursuant to the procedure provided by Estonian legislation.
(2) A punishment shall not be enforced if the competent authority of the foreign state gives notification that the circumstances which were the basis for imposition of the punishment have ceased to exist.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 487. Disposal of assets received upon execution of foreign court judgments
(1) Pecuniary punishments and fines to the extent of assets shall be enforced as payments into the revenues of the Estonian state unless the parties have agreed otherwise.
(2) confiscated property shall be transferred to revenues of Estonia unless the parties have agreed otherwise.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 487.1. Termination of enforcement of court judgement of foreign state
Enforcement of a court judgement of a foreign state shall be terminated immediately when the requesting state notifies of granting a pardon or amnesty or a request for the conversion of the sentence or any other decision on the basis of which the court judgement cannot be enforced.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

Chapter 19INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION IN CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS

Division 5Recognition and Compliance with Judgements of States Not Participating in Cooperation in criminal proceedings among Member States of European Union
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]

§ 487. Disposal of assets received upon execution of foreign court judgments
(1) Pecuniary punishments and fines to the extent of assets shall be enforced as payments into the revenues of the Estonian state unless the parties have agreed otherwise.
(2) confiscated property shall be transferred to revenues of Estonia unless the parties have agreed otherwise.
[RT I, 21.06.2014, 11 - entry into force 01.01.2015]