Kokonaisvoimaan

Kokonaisvoimaan is a Finnish legal term describing the status of a normative act when it is fully in force. In legislative practice, laws and regulations can come into force in stages, with different sections or provisions entering into effect at different dates. The expression kokonaisvoimaan signals that the act, in its entirety, is binding and applicable from a specified date, without remaining transitional provisions that alter its full application. The term is often used in official texts, court decisions, and legal commentary to distinguish full effect from partial entry into force or from provisions that have already come into force but some parts are still pending.

In usage, kokonaisvoimaan is typically found in phrases such as "Laki tulee kokonaisvoimaan [date]," meaning that the law becomes fully effective on that date. It may also appear in explanations about transitional provisions, clarifying when the last part of an act becomes operative. Etymologically, kokonaisvoimaan is formed from kokonais- (whole, entire) and voimaan, the illative-like form of voima meaning force or effect, used in constructions denoting coming into force.

See also voimaantulo, which refers to entry into force generally, and voimaantua, to come into force. Understanding kokonaisvoimaan helps interpret the scope and timing of a law’s applicability in Finnish legal texts.