Finland
Criminal investigations in Finland
Police-led pre-trial investigation — with the prosecutor cooperating rather than directing, except where a police officer is the suspect.
Facts on this page were checked against their sources on .
Criminal investigation in Finland runs through a "pre-trial investigation" (esitutkinta), which "is carried out by pre-trial investigation authorities, usually the police" — the others being the Border Guard, Customs and the Defence Forces. The prosecutor "is not a pre-trial investigation authority"; the head of the investigation (tutkinnanjohtaja) is usually a police officer. The prosecutor and the investigation authority cooperate so that the suspected offence is investigated thoroughly enough to charge.
The same idea, explained generally
- What is a criminal investigation?
A criminal investigation is a legally authorised process for establishing whether an offence occurred and gathering evidence that can be tested in court. This guide explains its structure, safeguards, and known failure modes.
- What is due process?
Due process is the requirement that the state follow fair, established procedures before it takes action against a person. This guide explains what it typically includes and how it differs between systems.
Sources
Sources
Syyttäjälaitos / National Prosecution Authority (Finland) · Government publication · link verified 2026-07-26
The National Prosecution Authority's page on pre-trial investigation, read directly and re-confirmed. Supports that a pre-trial investigation "is carried out by pre-trial investigation authorities, usually the police" (the others being the Border Guard, Customs and the Defence Forces); that "the prosecutor is not a pre-trial investigation authority"; that the head of investigation (tutkinnanjohtaja) "is usually a pre-trial investigation authority"; and the exception that the prosecutor usually acts as head of the investigation where a police officer is suspected of an offence. Establishes the police-led investigation model with a prosecutor-led exception for police-suspect cases.