Vastuuvelkaisuus

Vastuuvelkaisuus, a Finnish legal term, translates roughly to "liability for responsibility" or "vicarious liability" in English. It refers to a legal principle where one party can be held responsible for the actions or omissions of another party. This concept is primarily found within civil law, aiming to ensure that victims of harm have recourse even if the direct perpetrator is unable to pay damages or is not identifiable.

The core idea behind vastuuvelkaisuus is that the party bearing the responsibility has a certain relationship with the responsible party that justifies holding them liable. Common scenarios include employers being liable for the torts committed by their employees within the scope of their employment. Similarly, parents can sometimes be held liable for the actions of their minor children, especially if negligence on the part of the parent contributed to the child's actions. The specific conditions and extent of vastuuvelkaisuus vary depending on the jurisdiction and the nature of the relationship between the parties involved. It is a mechanism to address situations where direct accountability might be insufficient or impractical, thereby promoting a broader sense of accountability and ensuring that injured parties can be compensated.