Organising and securing the exercise of rights of access under the hague convention on international child abduction A child has the right to keep in touch and spend time with the parent with whom he or she does not reside also when the parent res...

International child abduction A case usually concerns international child abduction if the following criteria are met: A child is taken to or retained in a foreign country without the consent of the person who has custody of the child , the child ...

European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) was established in 2007 by the Council Regulation (EC) No 168/2007. The purpose of the Fundamental Rights Agency is to provide independent, e...

One of the objectives set out in the Government Programme is to promote democracy and human rights education and the participation of young people and to reinforce the obligation to consult young people. The task of the coordination group is to monitor and support the planning and implementation of the measures.

Recognition And Enforcement Of Decisions On Child Custody And Right Of Access The enforcement of a decision on child custody and/or right of access in a foreign country requires usually the existence of an international treaty. If a decision canno...

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...

The goal of the project is to facilitate the participation of children and young people in policy-making at the national level. The goal is to develop methods, gather best practices and produce training materials on child participation and to provide relevant training for public authorities. The project in Finland is part of the joint European CP4Europe project, which is coordinated by the Council of Europe.

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...

Crime victims The Ministry of Justice is responsible for drafting the legislation related to the legal status of crime victims and for improving the position of crime victims within its mandate. The efforts to improve the position of crime victims...

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.

In accordance with the Government Programme of Prime Minister Sanna Marin, an act on a transparency register will be enacted in Finland on the basis of parliamentary preparation and in consultation with civil society. The purpose of the act is to improve the transparency of decision-making and, by doing this, to prevent undue influence and reinforce public confidence.

The Government Programme states that preparation of a cross-administrative democracy programme shall be launched. The National Democracy Programme 2025 covers the numerous measures related to civil society and participation outlined in the Government Programme of Prime Minister Marin. It will function as an umbrella for democracy-related projects to be carried out by different ministries.

Personnel search Department for Administration and Oversight Administrative Support Functions Mirja Al-Khafaji, Administrative Assistant Department for Administration and Oversight, Administrative Support Functions Phone number +358295150197 Email...

Family Law Matters This section contains information on the international family law matters for which the Ministry of Justice is responsible in the capacity of the Central Authority under different international treaties. Such matters are, for ex...

New legislation on sexual offences The new legislation on sexual offences entered into force on 1 January 2023. The legislative reform strengthens everyone’s right to sexual self-determination and personal integrity. The key change is that the def...

7.11.2025 | A new survey will open on Monday 10 November, giving pupils in years 5–9 the chance to share their thoughts on what is important. Their responses will help us as we prepare for the next government term.

17.2.2023 | Children and young people have the right to participate and be heard in matters that concern them. The project of the Ministry of Justice has developed methods, compiled good practices and produced communication and training materials on the participation and consultation of children and young people, aimed at authorities.

10.9.2025 | FINNISH GOVERNMENT PO Box 23, FI-00023 Government, Finland vn.fi/en Tel. +358 295 16001 VALTIONEUVOSTO PL 23, 00023 Valtioneuvosto vn.fi p. 0295 16001 1(4) Budget session of Prime Minister Orpo’s Government on 1–2 September 2025 Entries in the mee...

9.4.2021 | The Ministry of Justice has launched a two-year project, Voice of Children and Young People in Europe, to support the participation of children and young people in policy-making at the national level. The project will develop methods, gather best practices and produce training materials, and will also provide training on the participation of children and young people for public authorities.

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...