julkisuuslailla

Julkisuuslaki, officially Laki viranomaisten toiminnan julkisuudesta, is a Finnish statute governing public access to information held by authorities. The central aim is transparency, accountability, and civic participation. The act applies to central and local government bodies, courts, and other public institutions performing statutory tasks; in general, documents and decisions are public unless disclosure is prohibited by law.

Exemptions cover personal data, business secrets, official secrets, national security, and the integrity of ongoing investigations, as well as confidential internal deliberations. The act allows withheld information to be protected when disclosure would be unlawful or harm protected interests. Requests for access may be made orally or in writing, and authorities must respond within a reasonable time, stating their grounds if access is refused or restricted. Appeals go to the administrative court, with oversight available from bodies such as the Chancellor of Justice and the Data Protection Ombudsman for related concerns.

In the digital era, many materials are published online, and the act has been amended to reflect electronic processes and EU data protection requirements. It remains a foundational instrument for governance transparency and citizen oversight and continues to be updated to adapt to new technologies and administrative practices.