Chamber of Notaries

Chamber of Notaries

Chamber of Notaries of the Republic of Estonia
Address: Viru tn 4, 10140, Tallinn
Phone: +372 617 7900
Fax: +372 617 7901
e-mail: koda@notar.ee

The Chamber of Notaries is a legal person in public law which was founded on the basis of the Notaries Act with the aim of bringing notaries together. All notaries who have been appointed to office are members of the Chamber of Notaries.
As of 1.10.2007, there were 100 notaries and 29 candidates.

The activities of the Chamber of Notaries are regulated by the Notaries Act and the statutes of the Chamber of Notaries.

The Chamber of Notaries commenced its activities on 1 November 1993, when the Notaries Act entered into force.

The Estonian Chamber of Notaries has been a member of the International Union of Latin Notaries since 1995.

The principal tasks of the Chamber of Notaries are:

1. to monitor that notaries execute their professional activities conscientiously and correctly, observe professional ethics and act in a dignified manner;
2. to harmonise the professional activities of notaries;
3. to organise training for notaries and employees of notaries’ offices;
4. to organise candidate service;
5. to participate in supervising the professional activities of notaries.

The supreme body of the Chamber of Notaries is the meeting of the Chamber of Notaries, and its executive and organising body is the Board of the Chamber of Notaries.
Supervision over the activities of the Chamber of Notaries is exercised by the Minister of Justice.
A seven-member Board of the Chamber of Notaries is elected by the meeting of the Chamber of Notaries for a period of three years.

Current Board:

Chairman: Tiit Sepp, Notary in Tallinn
Vice Chairman: Anne Saaber, Notary in Tallinn
Members:
Aune Harujõe, Notary in Tartu
Kersti Kulla, Notary in Viljandi
Tarvo Puri, Notary in Tallinn
Anu Nool, Notary in Paide
Katre Pustak, Notary in Rakvere

The Board of the Chamber of Notaries ensures that the statutes of the Chamber of Notaries are observed and that resolutions passed by meetings of the Chamber of Notaries are implemented.
Meetings of the Board of the Chamber of Notaries are held at least once a month.

Six employees work at the Chamber of Notaries on a daily basis: 3 legal advisers, administrative manager, referent and a secretary. Their duties consist mainly of arranging Chamber and Board meetings, formalising letters and proposals, organising international relations and foreign business trips, and communicating with the Ministry of Justice and other administrative agencies, etc.

The activities of the Chamber of Notaries are not financed from the state budget but rather primarily through membership fees paid by notaries.

Similar associations of notaries exist in all countries (more than 60 around the world) where the structure of the system of notaries’ offices follows the principle of the Latin notaries’ offices, and in the majority of these countries such associations of notaries are also called chambers of notaries.