Eesti NSV Ülemkohus

Eesti NSV Ülemkohus 

After Soviet forces occupied Estonia in 1940 and Estonia was incorporated into the USSR the Estonian court system was restructured. The Soviet government created a court system in Estonia that corresponded to Soviet law. This system consisted only of district courts, called the People’s Courts, and a Supreme Court of the Estonian Soviet Socialist Republic (ESSR). During the Soviet period the Supreme Court of the ESSR reviewed civil and criminal appeals as the court of second instance. It reviewed some cases as the court of first instance, for example, murder cases under aggravating circumstances, cases involving organized crimes, and cases of crimes against the state, including political cases.