Rikoslailla

Rikoslailla is the adessive form of rikoslaki, the Finnish term for criminal law. In legal language, rikoslailla is used to indicate that a rule, obligation, or sanction is based on or governed by criminal law. The expression is common in statutes, court decisions, and explanatory texts, and it reflects how Finnish grammar uses case endings to signal the source of a norm.

Usage and meaning: The phrase is typically used to attribute authority to the criminal code for sanctions, procedures, or prohibitions. It can appear in phrases such as rikoslailla säädetty (prescribed by the criminal code) or rangaistus rikoslailla määrätty (the punishment determined by the criminal code). It is often contrasted with other bases of law, such as siviililain (civil law) or hallintolain (administrative law).

Examples: Tämän teon rangaistus määräytyy rikoslailla. The punishment for this act is determined by the criminal code. Rikoslailla säädetyt seuraamukset voivat olla, mutta ne riippuvat kyseisistä pykälistä. Criminal penalties are those prescribed by the criminal code.

Etymology and note: The term combines rikoslaki with the adessive suffix -lla, producing a phrase that literally means “by means of the criminal code” or “under the criminal law.” It is a standard element of formal Finnish legal prose.

See also: rikoslaki, rikosoikeus, rangaistus.