Chapter 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS

§ 9. Safeguarding of personal liberty and respect for human dignity

(2) A person taken into custody shall be immediately notified of the court's decision on taking into custody in a language and manner which he or she understands.

Chapter 1
GENERAL PROVISIONS

§ 10. Language of criminal proceedings

(1) The language of criminal proceedings is Estonian. With the consent of the body conducting criminal proceedings, participants in the proceeding and parties to the court proceeding, the criminal proceedings may be conducted in another language if the body, participants and parties are proficient in such language.

(2) The assistance of an interpreter or translator shall be ensured for the participants in a proceeding and the parties to a court proceeding who are not proficient in Estonian.

(3) All documents which are requested to be included in a criminal and court file shall be in Estonian or translated into Estonian. Documents in other languages prepared by investigative bodies and Prosecutors' Offices in terminated criminal proceedings shall be translated into Estonian by the order of the Prosecutor's Office or at the request of a participant in the proceeding.
[RT I, 23.02.2011, 1 - entry into force 01.09.2011]

(4) A text in a language other than Estonian may be entered in the minutes of a court session at the request of a party to a court proceeding. In such case, a translation of the text into Estonian shall be appended to the minutes.

(5) If the accused is not proficient in Estonian, the text of the statement of charges translated into his or her native language or a language in which he or she is proficient shall be communicated to him or her.

Chapter 5
PROCEDURAL DOCUMENTS, TRANSLATION, INTERPRETATION AND SUMMONING

Division 2
Translation and Interpretation

§ 161. Translators and interpreters

(1) If a text in a foreign language needs to be interpreted or translated or if a participant in a criminal proceeding is not proficient in Estonian, an interpreter or translator shall be involved in the proceeding.

(2) An interpreter or translator is a person proficient in language for specific purposes or a person interpreting for a deaf or dumb person. Other subjects to a criminal proceeding shall not perform the duties of an interpreter or translator.

(3) An interpreter or translator to whom the oath of interpreters and translators has not been administered shall be warned that he or she may be punished pursuant to criminal procedure for a knowingly false interpretation or translation.

(4) If an interpreter or translator does not participate in a procedural act where the participation of an interpreter or translator is mandatory, the act is null and void.

(5) In order to ensure the correctness of interpretation or translation, an interpreter or translator has the right to pose questions to participants in the proceedings, examine the minutes of procedural acts and make statements concerning the report, and such statements shall be recorded in the minutes.

(6) An interpretation or translation of any aspect of a procedural act rendered by an interpreter or translator shall be precise and complete. If a non-staff interpreter or translator is not sufficiently proficient in language for specific purposes or in the form of expression of a deaf or mute person, he or she is required to refuse to participate in the criminal proceedings.

Article 55
Rights of persons during an investigation
1. In respect of an investigation under this Statute, a person:
(c) Shall, if questioned in a language other than a language the person fully understands and speaks, have, free of any cost, the assistance of a competent interpreter and such translations as are necessary to meet the requirements of fairness