Märt Rask

Märt advises clients on various legal matters, primarily related to the public sector. His undisputedly unique experiences and widespread knowledge in public sector mechanisms, as well as in public and private sector co-operation, make him one of Estonia’s most prominent experts in the field.

Märt Rask has served as a minister in four different cabinets of the Government of the Republic of Estonia, making him one of the few individuals with a uniquely comprehensive perspective on Estonia’s legal system, its implementation, and the functioning mechanisms of the state and society. Having spent nine years as both a Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and its Chair of the Constitutional Review Chamber, Märt is among Estonia’s most experienced legal practitioners in the fields of constitutional supervision and the protection of fundamental rights.

Career highlights:

• 1992 – Minister of Justice of Estonia
• 1995–1996 – Minister of the Interior of Estonia
• 1999–2003 – Minister of Justice of Estonia
• 2003–2004 – Member of the 10th Estonian Parliament and Chairman of its Legal Affairs Committee
• 2004–2013 – Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Estonia and Chairman of its Constitutional Review Chamber

Märt has also served as an external legal advisor to Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas from 2015 to 2016 and has contributed to the drafting of numerous laws as a member, leader, and expert of various working groups, as well as a multiple-term Minister of Justice. In private practice, he has represented clients in complex and high-profile legal matters. He has advised on the implementation of the pharmacy reform and served as Estonia’s legal expert in an international dispute with Tallinna Vesi, which was adjudicated before the World Bank’s arbitration court.

For his long-term and outstanding contribution to the development of Estonian law and governance, Märt was awarded the Order of the White Star, Second Class, in 2006.