Erityistuomioistuin

Erityistuomioistuin, literally “special court” in Finnish, is a term used to describe a court created by statute to handle a specific class of cases or a particular task outside the ordinary court system. Such tribunals are typically established by law or executive act and can be temporary or specialized in scope. They may have jurisdiction limited by subject matter, geography, or duration, and often employ procedures designed for efficiency or expertise in the relevant area.

Structure and operation vary by jurisdiction. A special court may comprise a panel of judges with specialized qualifications, use altered rules of evidence or procedure, and provide an appeals mechanism defined in the enabling statute. Decisions may be subject to review by higher courts, or, in some systems, subject to direct scrutiny by constitutional or supreme courts.

In Finnish law, the term does not denote a standing, permanent institution within the regular judiciary in contemporary practice; it is encountered mainly in constitutional and comparative law discussions and in reference to ad hoc or international arrangements described as special courts in other jurisdictions. The concept is more commonly used to describe analogous bodies elsewhere, such as military, constitutional, or international tribunals, established to address urgent or extraordinary legal tasks, including crimes under national or international law.

See also: Special court, Ad hoc tribunal, Military tribunal, International tribunal, Extraordinary jurisdiction.