Peatamise

Peatamise is a term used in Estonian law to refer to the act of detaining or arresting a person by police or other authorities. The noun derives from the verb peata, meaning to stop or to arrest. In everyday language it denotes any deprivation of liberty carried out by state actors for investigative or procedural purposes.

In statutory use, peatamine can describe both short-term police detention and longer pre-trial detention ordered by a court. The rules surrounding peatamine are set out in the Estonian Code of Criminal Procedure and related legislation. Detention may be applied when there is reasonable suspicion that a person has committed a crime and when investigators need to secure evidence, prevent flight, or protect public safety. Detained individuals must be informed of the reasons for detention, informed of their rights to legal counsel and to contact others, and must be treated in accordance with human rights standards. Procedures typically include judicial oversight and periodic reviews to determine whether continued detention is warranted.

The term is closely related to the English concepts of detention and arrest, though the precise legal implications differ by jurisdiction. In comparative law, peatamine is generally categorized within the state’s power to restrict liberty in criminal procedure, distinct from civil detention or administrative custody. The term is primarily used in Estonian-language legal texts, and translations are contextual rather than literal, depending on whether the focus is on preventive detention, custodial arrest, or other forms of deprivation of liberty.