Democracy policy The goal of the Government's democracy policy is to address topical democracy-related challenges and ensure that citizens are provided with opportunities for participating and exerting influence in society. Promoting democracy is ...

Department for Democracy and Public Law The Department for Democracy and Public Law is responsible for tasks related to fundamental rights policy, legislation in the field of public law, and implementation of electoral and other participatory righ...

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...

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.

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.

Advisory Board on Civil Society Policy (KANE) The Government has appointed a new Advisory Board on Civil Society Policy (KANE) for a four-year term from 27 January 2022 to 26 January 2026. The Advisory Board on Civil Society Policy works under the...

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...

Civil society and voluntary activities The Advisory Board on Civil Society Policy (KANE), operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice and appointed by the Government for four years at a time, is responsible for fostering cooperation an...

Contact information Niklas Wilhelmsson , Ministerial Adviser Ministry of Justice, Department for Democracy and Public Law, Democracy and Elections democracy policy civic activity civic society participatory rights Telephone: Email Address: [email ...

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...

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...

Departments and units There are four departments at the Ministry of Justice: Department for Democracy and Public Law, Department for Administration and Oversight, Department for Criminal Policy and Criminal Law, and Department for Private Law and ...

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...

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.

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...

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...

The organisation of the Ministry of Justice The Ministry of Justice is headed by the Minister of Justice. The Permanent Secretary directs the Ministry's activities together with the Minister of Justice. There are four departments at the Ministry: ...

Management Permanent Secretary The Permanent Secretary assists the Minister in leading and developing the Ministry's activities and strategic planning as well as the performance management on the administrative branch of the Ministry and the perfo...

Ministry of Justice Minister of Justice Leena Meri The Finns Party Minister of Justice Leena Meri heads the Ministry of Justice. Minister Meri is responsible for all other matters covered by the Ministry of Justice except for those related to the ...

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...