Valituslupia

Valituslupia are permissions that allow a party to appeal a lower court or administrative decision to a higher court in Finland. They function as a gatekeeping instrument in the Finnish appellate system, determining whether a case can proceed to the Supreme Administrative Court (KHO) or, in some contexts, to other highest courts. The term is used primarily in the context of appeals from administrative decisions, where not every appeal automatically proceeds to the highest level.

In practice, most appeals from administrative authorities or administrative courts proceed at first to the Administrative Court without needing a valituslupa. To bring a case to the Supreme Administrative Court, a valituslupa must generally be granted. The decision to grant or deny a valituslupa is discretionary and based on criteria such as the significance of the legal question, whether the case raises points of law of general interest, or the potential to clarify legal practice. Some matters may have special rules, but the typical path is: the decision is reviewed by the relevant court, an application for permission to appeal is filed (valituslupahakemus), and the court decides whether to grant the appeal.

The outcome of a valituslupa decision is decisive: if permission is granted, the case proceeds to the higher court for substantive review; if denied, the lower court’s decision becomes final and binding. Valituslupia help allocate scarce resources to cases with broader legal significance and maintain efficiency in the Finnish judiciary.

See also: appeal, valitus, hallinto-oikeus, Korkein hallinto-oikeus.