Oikeakäytäntöihin

Oikeakäytäntöihin is a Finnish term referring to the body of judicial decisions and the practical interpretations of law produced by courts. It encompasses the jurisprudence formed by the Finnish judiciary at various levels, including the Supreme Court (Korkein oikeus) and the Supreme Administrative Court (Korkein hallinto-oikeus), as well as lower courts. The concept is closely tied to how statutes and constitutional provisions are applied in concrete cases.

In the Finnish legal system, oikeakäytäntöihin are considered a source of law alongside statutes (lainsäädäntö) and the constitution. They play a central role in interpreting ambiguous provisions, clarifying how legal rules are applied to real-world facts, and developing doctrinal standards. While case law is not binding in the same formal sense as legislative text, higher court decisions are highly persuasive and guide subsequent rulings.

The use of oikeakäytäntöihin supports legal predictability and consistency. Judges often rely on established interpretations to resolve new disputes with similar factual patterns, and lawyers cite prior decisions to argue the correct application of rules. The development of jurisprudence reflects changes in society, technology, and public policy, and it can prompt legislative reform when widespread issues reveal gaps or ambiguities.

Access to oikeakäytäntöihin is facilitated by public legal databases such as FINLEX, which hosts statutes and court decisions. In practice, the term is used in legal writing to reference relevant case law—for example, citing how a particular issue has been treated in oikeakäytäntöihin to justify a legal argument or forecast a ruling.