Oikeuslaitoksen

Oikeuslaitos is the Finnish term for the judiciary, the branch of government responsible for interpreting and applying laws, settling disputes, and safeguarding constitutional rights. It operates independently from the legislative and executive branches in accordance with the Finnish Constitution, and it contributes to the rule of law within Finland and within the European Union.

The Finnish judiciary is organized into two parallel tracks: general courts and administrative courts. General courts handle civil and criminal matters and follow a three-tier structure: district courts (käräjäoikeus) as the first instance, Courts of Appeal (hovioikeus) as the appellate level, and the Supreme Court (korkein oikeus) as the highest court for civil and criminal matters. Administrative courts (hallinto-oikeudet) deal with disputes between individuals and public authorities and with administrative law; the highest authority in this track is the Supreme Administrative Court (korkein hallinto-oikeus). These structures work together to create a coherent system of case law and jurisprudence that guides future decisions.

Judges are appointed by the President of Finland, following procedures designed to ensure professional qualification and judicial independence. The appointment process involves professional bodies and aims to safeguard impartiality and merit in the selection of judges for both general and administrative courts.

Procedural transparency is a hallmark of the system: court proceedings are generally public, and court decisions are published and accessible to the public. The Oikeuslaitos applies national law in conjunction with international obligations, including European Union law, and it plays a central role in upholding rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Finnish Constitution and international conventions.