Since 4 February 2019, the President of the Supreme Court is dr. iur. Villu Kõve.
Villu Kõve was born on 26 August 1971 in Saaremaa. He is a graduate of the University of Tartu, Faculty of Law, where he also obtained a master’s degree, and has furthered his education at the law faculties of German universities. Since 2009, he has held a PhD in law from the University of Tartu.
Villu Kõve has been working as a judge since 2002, when he took up the position of a member of the Supreme Court. In 2014, he became Chairman of the Civil Chamber of the Supreme Court. Before joining the judiciary, Villu Kõve worked as a sworn advocate.
According to the Courts Act, there are 19 justices of the Supreme Court in Estonia. A competition for a vacant position of a Supreme Court justice is announced by the President of the Supreme Court. Before making a proposal to the Riigikogu to appoint a justice of the Supreme Court to office, the President of the Supreme Court hears the opinions of the Supreme Court en banc and the Council for Administration of Courts regarding the candidate. The Riigikogu appoints a justice to office for an unspecified term.
The President of the Supreme Court manages the work of Estonia's highest court, while also serving as the Chair of the Constitutional Review Chamber. The role of the Preisdent in creating a comprehensive overview of the administration of justice and court organization is vividly manifested in the obligation imposed by the Courts Act to present an annual overview of the state of the administration of justice and court organization to the Riigikogu. The Chief Justice also chairs the work of the Council for Administration of Courts and is actively involved in international relations. According to law, the President of the Supreme Court is appointed to office by the Riigikogu on the proposal of the President of the Republic for a term of nine years.