History

The Ministry of Justice was established in 1918 right after Finland had gained independence. It was preceded by the Judicial Department of the Senate Economic Division, established in 1892. In 1919 the Board of Press Matters was incorporated into the Ministry of Justice, followed by the National Board of Prison Administration and the Law Drafting Committee in 1922.

Judicial life in Finland has long-standing traditions. The administration of justice and the court system have their roots in the period of Swedish rule (from the 1100’s to 1809) and developed further when Finland was an autonomous Grand Duchy within Russia (1809-1917).

Picture: The Finnish Senate, Atelier Apollo 1899. National Board of Antiquities - Musketti