Introduction
Introduction
The prosecution service was created in 1918 when Estonia became an independent state. In the years 1918-1940 the organisation went through many changes based on different legal acts. The prosecution service belonged to the executive power. During the years 1918-1920 the prosecutor participated in the proceedings of criminal, civil and administrative matters. The main functions he had were still related to criminal procedure – supervision over the obedience of law and prosecution.
The recreation of the prosecution service was started on May 16, 1990 when the Supreme Council, the predecessor of the parliament of the Estonian Republic (the Riigikogu), adopted a law on the basis for temporary government of Estonia, containing the decision to terminate the subordination of the prosecution service to the prosecution service of the USSR and to separate them from the USSR system. The status of the prosecution service was finally regulated with the Prosecution Service Act (hereafter PSA) in 1993. The second version of this law was adopted in 1998 and has been amended many times, the last changes of which came into force on March 1, 2004.
The year 2003 and the beginning of the year 2004 were important for the prosecution service both, from the functional and institutional side. On February 12, 2003 Parliament adopted the new Code of Criminal Procedure (hereafter CCP), which came into force on July 1, 2004 and on January 28, 2004 adopted the changes of Prosecution Service Act, which came into force on March 1, 2004. Besides that, the new General Decree of the Prosecution Service (hereafter GDPS) came into force on March 29, 2004.
The prosecution service was created in 1918 when Estonia became an independent state. In the years 1918-1940 the organisation went through many changes based on different legal acts. The prosecution service belonged to the executive power. During the years 1918-1920 the prosecutor participated in the proceedings of criminal, civil and administrative matters. The main functions he had were still related to criminal procedure – supervision over the obedience of law and prosecution.
The recreation of the prosecution service was started on May 16, 1990 when the Supreme Council, the predecessor of the parliament of the Estonian Republic (the Riigikogu), adopted a law on the basis for temporary government of Estonia, containing the decision to terminate the subordination of the prosecution service to the prosecution service of the USSR and to separate them from the USSR system. The status of the prosecution service was finally regulated with the Prosecution Service Act (hereafter PSA) in 1993. The second version of this law was adopted in 1998 and has been amended many times, the last changes of which came into force on March 1, 2004.
The year 2003 and the beginning of the year 2004 were important for the prosecution service both, from the functional and institutional side. On February 12, 2003 Parliament adopted the new Code of Criminal Procedure (hereafter CCP), which came into force on July 1, 2004 and on January 28, 2004 adopted the changes of Prosecution Service Act, which came into force on March 1, 2004. Besides that, the new General Decree of the Prosecution Service (hereafter GDPS) came into force on March 29, 2004.
