1.9.2026 | On 1 September 2026, the Government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo reached a decision on its budget proposal for 2027 and is steadily implementing the agenda it agreed at the spending limits session. The agenda includes EUR 100 million of investment in construction and numerous transport infrastructure projects. The Government’s targeted measures will support economic growth.

Criminal sanctions Punishments are at the core of the criminal sanctions system. General punishments are a fixed fine, a fine, conditional imprisonment, community service, a monitoring sentence and unconditional imprisonment. Special punishments a...

Crime and punishment The Ministry of Justice is responsible for drafting the Criminal Code and the legislation concerning the enforcement of punishments. The Ministry steers the enforcement of punishments, is responsible for developing the prosecu...

Criminal procedure The criminal procedure consists of several stages. If there is, on the basis of a report made to the police or otherwise, reason to suspect that an offence has been committed, the police or another criminal investigation authori...

In individual cases, the President of the Republic may, after obtaining a statement from the Supreme Court, grant a full or partial pardon to a person sentenced to a punishment or other criminal sanction by a court of law.

The Ministry of Justice The Ministry of Justice maintains and develops legal order and legal protection, reinforces the structures of democracy, and safeguards citizens’ fundamental rights. The Ministry is responsible for drafting the key legislat...

Criminal law Criminal law is the body of law that regulates questions related to criminal liability. Crime and punishment are the basic concepts of criminal law. A crime is an act or a failure to act that has been criminalised under the law. By cr...

Extradition General Extradition deals with handing over of suspects or sentenced persons to a foreign country for legal proceedings or service of sentence. Extradition from Finland is regulated in the Act on Extradition. The Act contains only a fe...

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...

Processing of personal data in the services of the Ministry of Justice The Ministry of Justice processes personal data in order to comply with a legal obligation or, in certain situations, to perform a task carried out in the public interest or ba...

14.5.2024 | Translation from Finnish Translation subject to possible revisions Legally binding only in Finnish and Swedish Ministry of Justice, Finland Criminal Code (39/1889) Chapter 20 (723/2022) Sexual offences Section 1 (723/2022) Rape A person who has se...

19.12.2022 | Translation from Finnish Translation subject to possible revisions Legally binding only in Finnish and Swedish Ministry of Justice, Finland Criminal Code (39/1889) Chapter 20 (723/2022) Sexual offences Section 1 (723/2022) Rape A person who has se...