Oikeuslaitos - Judiciary

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District courts
- Judicial districts of district courts will change
  The judicial districts of the district courts will change on 1 January 2010. From the beginning of the next year, there will be 27 district courts in Finland. Some of the district courts will remain the same (Åland, Espoo, Helsinki, Kemi-Tornio, Tuusula and Vantaa), but in most cases both the name and the judicial district of the district court will change.
- Civil cases
  In a civil case, a dispute between private individuals or corporations is decided impartially by a court. The matter may pertain e.g. to tort liability, inheritance disputes, the cancellation of a transaction or the rent for an apartment. The district court makes enforceable decisions also in matters pertaining to undisputed demands for payment or evictions.
  - Preparation of a civil case
    In the preparation of the case, the person in charge of the dossier peruses the application for a summons and, if necessary, requests additional information.
  - Main hearing in a civil case
    In a simple case, the main hearing can be held immediately following the preparatory hearing. However, in complex cases the main hearing is scheduled for separately. In most cases the judge in charge of the preparation chairs the main hearing and decides the matter on his or her own.
  - Decision in a civil case
  - Judicial mediation
  - Electronic filing of applications for a summons
    This page is addressed to those filing numerous applications for a summons, for instance professional collection agencies. Electronic filing is normally reserved for simple and undisputed ”summary” debt collection cases.
  - Land court cases
- Criminal cases
  In a criminal trial it is established whether the suspect has committed an offence and decided what punishment is to be imposed on the person found guilty. Usually criminal cases are handled in an oral hearing of the District Court, but simple cases may be decided also on the basis of written procedure.
  - Participants
  - Progress of a criminal case
    Usually the handling of a criminal case in the Court is divided into preparation and a main hearing. A simple criminal case can be decided also solely on the basis of written procedure.
  - Written procedure in a criminal case
    A simple criminal case can be decided at the District Court solely on the basis of written procedure without a main hearing. This always requires the consent of the accused.
  - Main hearing in a criminal case
    In most criminal cases, the main hearing takes under an hour or at the most a few hours. The main hearing of an extensive or complex case may take several days.
  - Videoconferencing in court proceedings
  - Penalties
  - Young offenders
    A young offender is a person who is at least fifteen but under twentyone years old at the time of commission of the offence.
  - Restraining order
    By a restraining order, the life, health, liberty or inviolability of a person may be protected by prohibiting another person from taking contact with him or her.
  - Coercive measures
    Various coercive measures can be used for securing the investigation of crime, the trial and the enforcement of the sentence.
- Petitionary matters
  - Consideration of petitionary matters
    A petitionary matter merely pertaining e.g. to the registration of a given state of affairs is decided by the district court in chambers. When the matter pertains to a dispute between the petitioner and the opposing party, the district court decides the matter in the same way as any civil dispute, that is, in most cases in a hearing.
  - Guardianship
    If a person is no longer capable of taking care of himself or herself or of his or her affairs, a guardian may be appointed for him or her.
  - Real estate matters
  - Family matters
    Family matters dealt with by the district courts include divorce, the dissolution of a registered partnership, child custody and right of access, and adoption.
  - Inheritance matters
  - Debt adjustment matters
    By way of debt adjustment, an individual heavily in debt may work to get his or her financial situation on a sound basis.
  - Cancellation of documents
    If a document, such as a share certificate, has been lost or destroyed, the District Court may cancel it upon petition.
  - Bankruptcy
    Bankruptcy is a procedure where the assets of the debtor are used all at once in order to cover his or her debts, in proportion to the amounts of the individual debts. The new Bankruptcy Act, which entered into force on 1 September 2004, contains provisions on bankruptcy procedure.
  - Enforcement complaints
- Appeals
  A party discontent with the ruling or the decision of the District Court may appeal against the decision.
- Lay Judges
- Service of notices
  The Court sees to it that the parties and the witnesses receive the summonses to hearings and the other notices appropriately and on time.
- The principle of openness in court proceedings
- Charges collected by the District Courts
  After the consideration of the matter, the District Court collects a charge from the petitioner in a petitionary matter and the plaintiff in a civil matter; the amount of the charge varies depending on the nature of the matter and the court time its consideration has required.
  - Bankruptcy, corporate restructuring and merger
- District Court web pages
Courts of appeal
- As customer in a court of appeal
  If a party is discontent with the decision of a district court, it is usually possible to appeal against the decision in a court of appeal. The court of appeal requests a response from the opposing party. Testimony can be heard in a main hearing of the court of appeal.
  - As respondent
  - As witness in a court of appeal
- Consideration of matters in a court of appeal
  The consideration of a matter begins with preparation. The decision is made by written procedure or in a main hearing.
- Appeals
  A decision of a court of appeal can be appealed against in the Supreme Court; it is, however, a prerequisite that the Supreme Court first grant leave to appeal.
  - Appeal
    The appeal must indicate where and how the decision of the court of appeal should be amended and what are the grounds for such amendment.
  - Response
- Legal costs in Courts of Appeal
- Legislation
- Justices and other personnel of the courts of appeal
- Courts of appeal web pages
The Supreme Court
Administrative courts
The judicial oversight of administrative acts is the task of the administrative courts and the Supreme Administrative Court. Other judicial matters are seen to by the general courts and the special courts.
- Appealing to an administrative court
  Administrative courts deal mainly with appeals against the decisions of various public authorities. A person whom the decision concerns — a party — has standing to appeal. In many statutes, party status has been specifically defined in the text of the legislation. Also an authority may be a party. Administrative courts deal also with administrative litigation and certain other tasks statutorily assigned to them.
  - Types of matter
  - How to appeal?
    Anyone who is dissatisfied with a decision of a public authority in an administrative matter may lodge an appeal against it to the administrative court. When making a decision, a public authority must indicate how and to whom the decision can be appealed against. An appeal to the administrative court must be filed in writing.
  - Effect of appeal to enforcement
- Hearing of matters
  In administrative courts the proceedings are in the main written, but holding of oral hearings and judicial viewings has become more common during recent years.
  - Oral hearing and judicial viewing
    Where necessary, an administrative court may hold an oral hearing, where the parties, witnesses and experts can be heard. An oral hearing is a part of the inquiry into, and preparation of, the case, which may continue also after the oral hearing. The decision is made later in the session of the administrative court.
- Legal costs
- Publicity of court proceedings
- Certificate of finality
  When a party requests enforcement of a decision concerning him or her, the public authority may order the party to obtain a certificate from the administrative court stating that the decision has not been challenged within the appeal period, i.e. that the decision has become final.
- Appealing against a decision of the administrative court
- Judicial districts
  Judicial districts of the administrative courts, by province
- Administrative courts web pages
The Supreme Administrative Court
Special courts
Special courts have been established for certain types of matter. The objective is to provide expertise in the consideration of the matter at hand beyond that available in a general court. There are in Finland four special courts: The Market Court, the Labour Court, the Insurance Court and the High Court of Impeachment.
Charges collected by the courts
- Charges collected by courts
  Supreme Court, Supreme Administrative court, Courts of Appeal, Administrative Courts, Market Court, Labour Court and Insurance Court
- Basic features of the charge system
- Other charges
Judicial Appointments Board
European legal remedies

What kind of matters can you get legal aid for
Legal aid can be given both in court proceedings and in other matters. The nature and significance of the matter have an effect on the coverage of legal aid.
- Legal expenses insurance
  Legal aid is usually not granted if the applicant has legal expenses insurance covering the matter at hand.
- Legal aid abroad
Means-testing
Legal aid is granted on the basis of the applicant’s income, expenditures and maintenance liability, that is, his or her available means.
Cost of legal aid
Legal aid is provided for free to persons without means. Others are liable to co-pay for the legal aid they are given. The costs collected from the applicant include the legal aid charge and the deductible.
- Costs paid by the State
  The State pays the attorney’s fees and other costs of legal service in full or in part, as well as certain other pertinent costs arising from the court proceedings.
Finding an attorney
Public Legal Aid Offices offer the services of Public Legal Aid Attorneys. Also a private attorney may provide counsel in court proceedings.
- Public Legal Aid Attorney
  Lawyers employed by Public Legal Aid Offices are called Public Legal Aid Attorneys.
- Private attorney
  Private attorney services are provided by Advocates, other law firms and other companies offering legal services.
How to apply for legal aid
Legal aid is applied for at a Public Legal Aid Office.
- Income statement
  The applicant files a statement of his or her income, expenses, assets and liabilities and attaches the pertinent receipts and other documentation. In most cases, the required information can be supplied with bank account statements, social welfare decisions and tax certificates. If legal is being applied for electronically, no receipts or other documentation need to be attached to the application. Electronically given information will be spot checked or verified at the Legal Aid Office. For this reason, the receipts and other documentation need to be preserved.
- Legal aid application form
Legal aid decision
The Public Legal Aid Office makes a decision on the granting of legal aid.
- Appealing against a legal aid decision
  An applicant who is discontent with a legal aid decision issued by a Public Legal Aid Office may request that it be reviewed by a court of law.
Other forms of public legal aid
Public Legal Aid Offices
The State operates Public Legal Aid Offices for the provision of legal aid.
Legislation
Public guardianship
Legal Aid Office web pages

As creditor in enforcement
- Grounds for requesting enforcement
- Requesting enforcement
As debtor in enforcement
Duties of employers
- Withholding notice
- Remittance of withheld funds
Period of limitation for enforcement and final statute of limitations on debt
Enforcement fees
There are several types of enforcement fee, e.g. scheduled fee, processing fee, disbursement fee, auction fee, execution fee and fee for delayed assertion.
The enforcement organisation
The enforcement organisation consists of the enforcement authorities and the enforcement administration.
The National Administrative Office for Enforcement
Nationwide listing of compulsory sales
Enforcement web pages

Contact information
Link above connect to tabulated contact information which is currently available only in the Finnish language.

The list of municipalities
Link above connect to tabulated contact information which is currently available only in the Finnish language.

Judiciary - Site index