Estonia Considers Law to Punish False Testimony in Parliamentary Committees

Estonian lawmakers are proposing a new amendment that would introduce penalties for providing false testimony to parliamentary inquiry and special committees. The bill, initiated by MPs Helir-Valdor Seeder, Jaak Valge, and Leo Kunnas, aims to strengthen the integrity of parliamentary investigations.

The proposed legislation seeks to expand the authority currently granted to parliamentary inquiry committees to also cover special committees. Furthermore, it designates the Riigikogu Chancellery as the out-of-court authority responsible for handling offenses related to obstructing the work of these committees. This move is intended to ensure that such offenses can be practically applied.

A key provision of the bill is the requirement for individuals summoned to appear before an inquiry or special committee to provide truthful information. Crucially, the amendment seeks to make the act of knowingly giving false testimony to these committees a punishable offense under the Penal Code. The passage of this bill requires a majority vote of the current Riigikogu composition.