Finland
The justice system of Finland
A bilingual, unitary EU republic under the 1999 Constitution: independent courts in two branches, two guardians of legality, and constitutional review without a constitutional court.
Facts on this page were checked against their sources on .
Finland is governed by the Constitution of 1999. Section 3 provides that "the judicial powers are exercised by independent courts of law, with the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court as the highest instances", establishing both judicial independence and the two-branch, two-apex court structure. Section 1 records that Finland is a member state of the European Union, and Section 17 that its national languages are Finnish and Swedish.
The same idea, explained generally
- What is justice?
Justice is the principle that people should be treated according to rules that apply equally to everyone, decided by bodies that are authorised, constrained, and answerable. This guide explains what that means institutionally.
- What is the rule of law?
The rule of law is the principle that everyone, including the government, is subject to law that is public, applied equally, and interpreted by independent courts. This guide explains what it requires and what it does not.
- What do courts do?
Courts resolve disputes, test the state’s case against individuals, interpret law, and review public decisions. This guide explains those functions and why judicial independence is structural.
Sources
Sources
The Constitution of Finland (731/1999) — Ministry of Justice English translation
Ministry of Justice, Finland (via FAOLEX; original at finlex.fi) · Legislation · 1999 · link verified 2026-07-26
The Ministry of Justice official English translation of the 1999 Constitution, fetched as a PDF and text-extracted (confirmed by me and in the verification pass). Supports: Section 1 ("Finland is a sovereign republic"; "Finland is a Member State of the European Union"); Section 3 ("the judicial powers are exercised by independent courts of law, with the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court as the highest instances"); Section 17 ("the national languages of Finland are Finnish and Swedish"); Section 98 (the general courts and the general administrative courts); Section 99 (the Supreme Court is final in civil, commercial and criminal matters; the Supreme Administrative Court is final in administrative matters); Section 104 (the Prosecutor-General, appointed by the President of the Republic); Section 106 (a court gives primacy to the Constitution where an Act's application would be in "evident conflict" with it — diffuse review, no constitutional court); and Sections 108–109 (the Chancellor of Justice and the Parliamentary Ombudsman). The authoritative texts are Finnish and Swedish.