Pakosta wants equal opportunities bill passed before parliament term ends

Estonian Justice Minister Liisa Pakosta says she wants a gender equality and equal opportunities bill passed before the current parliament’s term ends, ERR reported. She declined to detail the draft’s contents or the timetable for its consideration, saying it is still being prepared.

Pakosta said the bill would need to reach the Riigikogu, Estonia’s parliament, by November for it to be considered at a normal pace. She said the government was working to move forward on many bills as quickly as possible and that it was not unusual for some to take longer.

Pakosta said the bill’s long delay was not a problem because Section 12 of Estonia’s Constitution already provides protection against discrimination. In her view, the proposed changes would be “extremely nuanced” and would make little difference to people’s lives.

The minister declined to explain how the draft now being prepared differs from a bill she halted in 2024. After stopping consideration of a draft prepared by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications, the Ministry of Justice sought input from law firm Sorainen. Pakosta has said the firm was asked for preparatory materials, not to draft a bill.

Pakosta has also kept those materials from public view. In early 2025, she did not share a newly completed analysis with Equal Treatment Commissioner Christian Veske, who had requested it, or with the ministry’s equal policy department. She said keeping the documents confidential was intended to prevent confusion, and cited a provision of the Public Information Act allowing draft legislation and related documents to be restricted before approval or signature.