How to object to a demand for punishment

You can object to a demand for punishment (fine) by contacting the prosecutor’s office referred to in the demand for punishment within one week of having been served the demand. You can submit notification of your objection to the demand for punishment in person, through an attorney,
by letter, by email or by telefax. Notification of your objection to the demand for punishment must be made during office hours by 16.15 on the final date for objection referred to in the demand. The person objecting to the demand for punishment is responsible for submitting notification to the prosecutor’s office within this deadline. Any objections that arrive late will be dismissed. More detailed instructions can be found in the demand for punishment.

In conjunction with objecting to the demand for punishment, you must submit the demand for punishment (fine) and state why you object to it. If you consider that the demand for punishment has been issued on false grounds, you must state on what grounds you contest the act and consider yourself innocent. In such cases, a pre-trial investigation, including hearing, will be held and the matter will be considered in an oral trial in the district court.

If you object to the demand for punishment solely on the grounds of ability to pay, you must submit an account of your income, child support obligations, etc. and of any essential change in factors affecting your income. On the basis of established practice, an essential change is considered as being a decrease in income of at least 20%.

When objecting to the demand for punishment, you can use the enclosed form that provides more detailed instructions.

(308kB) Form for objecting to a demand for punishment

Objecting by electronic means

If you use electronic means to object to the demand for punishment, you must mention the factors below. You are kindly asked to scan the demand for punishment and to submit it to the prosecutor’s office by attaching it to your email objecting to the demand for punishment.

If you are unable to scan the demand, you must provide precise itemised information about the demand for punishment received:

• The police unit and case number
• The personal data and contact information of the person receiving the demand for punishment
• The offence, scene and time of the offence
• Date and place of service

Penal fee (rikesakko)
You can contest a penal fee by objection to the district court of the place the infraction occurred.

Updated 25th of September 2012