Constitution In Finland the Constitution is the basis of all legislation and exercise of government power. It details the fundamental rules, values and principles of Finnish democracy. The Constitution specifies the foundations of the relationship...

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...

Rights of the Sámi people Ministry of Justice safeguards the rights of the Sámi people The Ministry of Justice supports the development of Sámi cultural autonomy and coordinates the handling of Sámi rights across the ministries. The Ministry of Ju...

Right of initiative The Constitution lays down provisions on the right of individuals to participate in and influence the development of society and their living conditions. Pursuant to the Constitution, the public authorities shall promote the op...

Rights of the Sámi people Ministry of Justice safeguards the rights of the Sámi people The Ministry of Justice supports the development of Sámi cultural autonomy and coordinates the handling of Sámi rights across the ministries. The Ministry of Ju...

The rule of law and legal protection Ministry of Justice’s main responsibility is to ensure the operation of the rule of law in Finland. The Ministry drafts also the provisions which aim to ensure fair trials and good governance. The Ministry also...

Fundamental and human rights The Ministry of Justice prepares amendments to the Constitution and the fundamental rights provisions laid down in it. The Ministry is also responsible for coordinating the national fundamental and human rights policy....

Sign language The linguistic rights of sign language users are safeguarded under the Constitution of Finland. Pursuant to the Constitution, language groups have the right to maintain and develop their own language and culture, and the rights of pe...

Democracy and participation Under the Constitution, the powers of the State in Finland are vested in the people, who are represented by the Parliament. Democracy entails the right of the individual to participate in and influence the development o...

Linguistic rights The Ministry of Justice is responsible for promoting the realisation of linguistic rights by monitoring the implementation and application of the Language Act and by issuing recommendations. The Unit for Democracy, Language Affai...

Finnish and Swedish Linguistic rights are based on section 17 of the Constitution . The Language Act contains more detailed provisions on the linguistic rights laid down in the Constitution, and it applies to the Finnish and Swedish languages. Eve...

Saami languages The Saami are the only indigenous people in Finland. According to data collected by the Saami Parliament, around 10,500 Saami people live in Finland. It is difficult to estimate the total number of people speaking the Saami languag...

Fundamental rights » The Ministry of Justice prepares the fundamental provisions relating to the Constitution and the public administration. These include the laws regulating the competency of the President of the Republic, the Parliament and the ...

Democracy and voting Under the Constitution, the powers of the State in Finland are vested in the people, who are represented by the Parliament. Democracy entails the right of the individual to participate in and influence the development of socie...

Other languages People speaking some other language than Finnish or Swedish as their native language account for 4.5% of the total population of Finland. The largest language groups after Finnish and Swedish are Russian, Estonian, Arabian, Somali ...

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.

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...

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...

The Ministry of Justice has appointed a cross-administrative working group to prepare the National Programme to Promote Democracy and Participation outlined in Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's Government Programme and to coordinate the implementation of the programme within the Government ministries.

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...