Judicial districts of district courts will change

The judicial districts of the new district courts will mainly follow the boundaries of the regions, and their names will also correspond to the names of the regions. For example, the new District Court of South Ostrobothnia will consist of the District Courts of Kauhajoki, Kauhava and Seinäjoki, and the new District Court of Kymenlaakso will consist of the District Courts of Kouvola and Kotka. In the largest district courts, there are dozens of judges and over a hundred other officials.

In connection with the structural change, a registry of district court will be closed down in 15 localities in the beginning of 2010 and in 15 more localities later. Altogether 34 registries will remain in the district courts. Court sessions will still be held in 75 localities.

The purpose of the structural change is to offer district courts better opportunities for high quality operations. In larger courts, judges have an opportunity to specialise in certain branches of law and to improve their expertise in demanding matters. Simultaneously, the amount of administrative work can be decreased. In addition, registrations of titles to a property, mortgages and other registration issues relating to real estates will be transferred to National Land Survey of Finland in connection with the structural change.

In 1993, an extensive reform of courts of first instance was carried out. In the reform, 70 district courts were formed of the city courts and circuit courts of that time. District courts have since then been merged so that there are 51 district courts nowadays. Government has decided (Government Decree 410/2008) that the structural change will be completed by creating 27 district courts of the current 51 district courts in the beginning of 2010.

(113kB) District courts and their judicial districts 2010, in Finnish

(74kB) Contact information of the district courts from 1 January 2010, in Finnish

List of municipalities, district courts by municipality

Updated on 23 November 2009