Pidätyksenä

Pidätyksenä is a Finnish legal term meaning “as detention” or “in detention.” It refers to the status of a person who is deprived of liberty by authorities under criminal procedure. In practice, pidätys covers two main stages: police detention (poliisin pidätys), a short-term deprivation of liberty used to control the situation and carry out initial investigations; and pre-trial detention (esitutkintavankeus), a longer period ordered by a court to secure presence in proceedings and protect the investigation.

The term is distinguished from related concepts such as vangitseminen (arrest) and vankeus (imprisonment after a conviction). Pidätyksenä describes the temporary state of being detained, not a final sentence. The exact duration and conditions of detention are governed by law and subject to judicial review. Detentions must be justified by grounds provided in legislation, and authorities must observe the detainee’s rights, including information about the grounds for detention, access to legal counsel, translation if needed, and appropriate medical care. Detainees typically have opportunities to challenge the detention, seek release, or apply for bail where applicable.

In legal texts, pidätyksenä is used to indicate that a person or act is conducted in the capacity of detention or as part of a detention measure. The translative form pidätyksenä also serves a grammatical function to express a change of state or role in Finnish. The concept remains central to procedures ensuring due process and proportionality in deprivation of liberty.