Jäävi

Jäävi is a Finnish adjective meaning impartial, unbiased, or neutral in judgment. It is used to describe a person or decision that is free from conflicting interests or external influence, especially in legal, administrative, or formal decision-making contexts. A judge, member of a jury, or public official can be deemed jäävi if they have a personal interest in the matter, a close connection to one of the parties, or another circumstance that could reasonably affect their ability to decide fairly.

In such cases, the official is disqualified from taking part in the proceedings, and the matter may be reassigned or handled by a different, neutral authority. The term is widely used in Finnish law and public administration; its English equivalent is recusal or disqualification for bias.

Usage notes: Jäävi is typically used as an attributive adjective (for example, jäävi tuomari). It denotes an ethical or procedural standard and is common in legal and administrative texts. The concept underscores the principles of impartiality and fairness in decision-making.

Related terms include puolueettomuus (impartiality), objektiivisuus (objectivity), and este (disqualification ground). In everyday language, jäävi can also be used to describe a hypothetical bias, though its formal sense is mainly in legal and official contexts.