Nordic cooperation Judicial cooperation supports the Nordic countries in advancing the common basic principles laid down in Nordic legislation in accordance with the shared Nordic values. Nordic judicial cooperation helps politicians and public of...

International cooperation The Ministry of Justice aims to promote a stable rule of law in Finland and especially in its neighbouring areas. International cooperation seeks to reinforce cross-border legal protection, and it also brings new angles t...

The Ministry of Justice has appointed a cooperation group for the development of law drafting for the term from 15 October 2019 to 30 September 2023.

Cooperative working group for improving law drafting The cooperative working group for improving law drafting continues cross-administrative cooperation between Ministries to develop law drafting. The working group monitors the implementation of t...

International and EU affairs The EU-related activities and international cooperation conducted by the Ministry of Justice aim to maintain an open, active and safe society where people can be confident that their rights are being respected. The eff...

Policy of the Ministry of Justice for International and EU Activities The main responsibility of the Ministry of Justice is to ensure the operation of the rule of law. The Ministry’s international and EU activities support the achievement of its i...

From 1 December 2020 to 30 November 2021, the Ministry of Justice will implement the Election Pool project, which will support elections and cooperation between authorities. The project is funded by the European Commission’s Rights, Equality and Citizenship (REC) Programme. The objective of the project is to strengthen cooperation among authorities and cooperation with social media in addressing election interference and improving election preparedness.

Finland – a state governed by the rule of law Finnish democracy is built on the rule of law. The rule of law and respect for fundamental rights are key principles enshrined in the Constitution of Finland. Finland is also committed to these princip...

According to the Government Programme of Prime Minister Sanna Marin, the Government will draw up a comprehensive action plan for better regulation. The objective of the Action Plan is to improve the quality, planning and transparency of legislative drafting within the Government through various measures.

International Legal Assistance In Criminal Matters International legal assistance in criminal matters encompasses cooperation between countries on account of crime. In a broad sense cooperation covers mutual legal assistance, extradition and trans...

Civil Matters - General Information International legal assistance may be divided in to legal assistance in civil matters and in criminal matters. This section contains information on legal assistance in civil matters. Petitionary matters and disp...

Anti-corruption efforts As in many other countries, corruption is a problem present also in Finland. Studies show that instead of street-level corruption, Finland is characterised by larger-scale structural corruption that is more difficult to det...

Development of law drafting Development of law drafting aims at improving the quality of law drafting. The objective is legislation that is functioning, consistent and comprehensible. High-quality law drafting contributes to ensuring that Parliame...

International Legal Assistance These pages contain information on international legal assistance in all its aspects, the relevant legislation and treaties and their ratification as well as links, addresses and instructions. This is only a general ...

Transfer of Sentenced Persons General The purpose of transferring sentenced persons to their home countries is advancing their rehabilitation into society. Accordingly, a sentenced person is offered a possibility to continue serving his sentence i...

Justice affairs in the EU EU affairs at the Ministry of Justice The Ministry of Justice is responsible for EU projects within its mandate and seeks to influence EU legislation proactively. The objective is to ensure that Finland’s interests are se...

Influencing the preparation of decisions and legislation Under Finnish legislation, authorities must act in an open and transparent manner. Citizens must be provided with opportunities to protect their rights and interests, receive information abo...

Purpose and tasks of the Advisory Board on Civil Society Policy Provisions on the activities of the advisory board are laid down in the Government Decree on the Advisory Board on Civil Society Policy (269/2007). The purpose of the advisory board i...

International Recovery Of Maintenance The EU legislation and several international treaties binding on Finland contain provisions on the international aspects of maintenance obligations and payments. Within the framework of these arrangements, it ...

Addresses The Unit for International Judicial Assistance functions as the designated Central Authority for the purposes of numerous EU regulations and international treaties concerning international cooperation in civil or criminal matters. The ke...