Today, President Lennart Meri signed the resolution not to promulgate the Police Service Act and the Police Act Amendment Act passed by Riigikogu on June 13, because Clause 2 of Section 12 of the Act, which amends Subsections 6 and 7 of Section 51 of the Police Service Act, is in conflict with Section 12 of the Constitution.

With this provision, Subsection 6 is added to Section 51 of the Police Service Act, pursuant to which persons, who have been released from police service after March 1, 1991 in relation to retirement and who receive pension pursuant to the Superannuated Pensions Act, have the right to submit an application for recalculation of the pension into a police officer’s pension until January 1, 2003. This right does not extend to persons for who started to receive their pension pursuant to the Superannuated Pensions Act, but who have transferred to national old-age pension.

The President is of the opinion that this is unfair treatment of the persons who left the police service after March 1, 1991 and who currently receive superannuated pensions and of the persons who have already reformulated this pension into national old-age pension pursuant to law. There should be a reasonable, relevant and convincing reason for such differentiation, which however is not reflected in this law amendment.


Press Service of the Office of the President of the Republic of Estonia
Kadriorg, July 4, 2001

back | archive of press releases | main page