Investigation of motherhood and forensic genetic tests

OM024:00/2022 Statute drafting

Parenthood legislation will be amended with provisions on the investigation and establishment of the birth mother. In addition, the Act on Forensic Genetic Paternity Tests (378/2005) will be amended and it will be made possible to take tissue samples of the buried deceased for forensic genetic parentage tests.

Basic information Completed

Project number OM024:00/2022

Case numbers VN/10363/2022

Set by Ministry of Justice

Task class Preparation of a government proposal

Project stage Bill approval

Term/schedule 29.3.2022 – 15.3.2024

Date of appointment

Law drafting

HE laiksi vanhemmuuslain muuttamisesta sekä siihen liittyviksi laeiksi

Parliamentary reply EV 54/2023

Täydennetään vanhemmuutta koskevaa lainsäädäntöä synnyttäneen äidin selvittämistä ja vahvistamista koskevalla sääntelyllä. Täydennetään myös oikeusgeneettisestä isyystutkimuksesta annettua lakia (378/2005) ja mahdollistetaan kudosnäytteen ottaminen haudatusta vainajasta oikeusgeneettisiä vanhemmuustutkimuksia varten.

Minister in chargeMinister of Justice Meri

Additional information

  • Finance act: Legislative proposal affecting state revenues or commanding appropriations to purposes set out in the law.

Contact person
Mari Kaipomäki, Erityisasiantuntija
tel. +358 295 150 062
[email protected]

Project status

Goals and results

The aim is to promote the child’s right to know his or her parents and to enable the determination and registration of information regarding the parent.

This aim will be promoted by enabling the registration of information on family relationships in the population information system also in situations where the circumstances related to the birth of the child are unclear, or if the documentary evidence concerning the matter is inadequate for reasons not attributable to the person or his or her family.

The second aim is to create regulation that would enable forensic genetic parentage tests also in a situation where the necessary tissue sample is only available from a deceased person who has already been buried.

Starting points

The need for amending the legislation with provisions on the investigation of the birth mother was brought up in connection with the preparation of the Parenthood Act (HE 132/2021 vp). The need to regulate the investigation of birth mothers is particularly related to immigrant families whose family relationships have not been ascertained in the context of entry to Finland and who do not have documentary evidence of their family relationships or there is insufficient information on its reliability.

In December 2021, the Supreme Court of Finland issued a ruling (KKO:2021:88) according to which section 5(2) of the Act on Forensic Genetic Paternity Tests was in obvious conflict with the protection of private life guaranteed by section 10 of the Constitution and Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights. This provision protecting the sanctity of the grave has been interpreted as preventing the issuance of a research order on forensic genetic paternity testing in a situation where the deceased has already been buried.

Related projects

Read more

Hallituksen esitys eduskunnalle laiksi vanhemmuuslain muuttamisesta sekä siihen liittyviksi laeiksi

Ministry of Justice Decision 9.10.2023 14.14

Lakiesitys: Äitiyden selvittäminen helpottuu

Ministry of Justice Press release 9.10.2023 14.01

Synnyttäneen äidin selvittämiseen ehdotetaan muutoksia

Ministry of Justice Press release 15.3.2023 11.16

Työryhmä valmistelemaan uudistusta äitiyden selvittämisestä

Ministry of Justice Press release 3.5.2022 13.35

Developing and statute drafting in the Government

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