Hätämääräyksiä

Hätämääräyksiä refers to emergency orders or regulations issued in Finland during a state of emergency. These provisions are part of the Contingency Act (781/2000) and allow the government to implement extraordinary measures to address severe threats to national security, public order, or essential services. The scope of hätämääräyksiä is limited to what is strictly necessary to manage the emergency and must be proportionate to the threat.

The primary purpose of hätämääräyksiä is to ensure the functioning of society and the safety of its citizens when normal legal frameworks are insufficient. They can encompass a range of measures, such as restricting movement, imposing curfews, requisitioning property or services, or even temporarily suspending certain civil liberties. However, fundamental human rights, such as the right to life and the prohibition of torture, cannot be derogated from, even under a state of emergency.

The activation of hätämääräyksiä requires a formal decision by the government and must be presented to the Parliament for approval within a specified timeframe. The Parliament can then either approve, amend, or reject the emergency orders. The duration of these measures is also typically limited, and they are to be repealed as soon as the emergency situation subsides. The implementation and application of hätämääräyksiä are subject to judicial review to ensure they comply with the law and human rights standards.