Lieventävänä

Lieventävänä is a Finnish legal term used to describe a factor or circumstance that reduces the severity of punishment or assessment. In legal texts it functions as an adverbial participle that means “as a mitigating factor.” It is commonly found in fixed phrases such as lieventävänä asianhaarana or lieventävänä seikkana, where it introduces circumstances the court may take into account when determining guilt or penalty.

Usage and scope

The expression appears primarily in court decisions, statutes, and legal commentaries. Its role is to indicate that a particular detail of the offender, the act, or the context is considered to lessen responsibility or the gravity of the sanction. Typical constructions include lieventävänä asianhaarana (as a mitigating circumstance) and lieventävänä seikkana (as a mitigating factor). The form is used to link the mitigating factor to the outcome, such as a reduced sentence or a more lenient assessment.

Etymology and form

Lieventävänä is derived from the verb lieventää, meaning to alleviate or lessen. The participial form with the suffix -vä/ -vä and the role-indicating endings (-nä) yields a functionally instrumental or predicative phrase, effectively meaning “in the capacity of a mitigating [factor].” It is a specialized, formal usage in Finnish legal language rather than general everyday speech.

See also

mitigating factor, mitigating circumstance, lieventävä seikka, lieventävä asianhaara.