peruspoikkeamalla

peruspoikkeamalla is a Finnish legal term that translates roughly to “by a basic exception” or “except as otherwise provided.” The phrase appears primarily in statutes, regulations and official legal documents to indicate that the preceding rule applies in general, but that there exist specific, generally recognised exceptions that override it. It functions similarly to the English expression “unless otherwise provided” and is part of a broader class of exception clauses within Finnish law.

The construction is typically used after a general provision, followed by a statement like “peruspoikkeamalla, laissa tai säädöksessä mainita­vissa tapauksissa” (except as specified in law or regulation). In many cases, the relevant exception is listed immediately after the phrase or in a separate subsection. Because peruspoikkeamalla is an established legal formula, courts often treat it as a binding caveat that requires the legislator’s intention to be clarified by the text that follows.

In practice, peruspoikkeamalla is found in areas such as tax law, employment law and environmental regulation, where broad principles are coupled with specific, narrowly scoped exemptions. Unlike more general terms such as “poikkeustilanne” (exceptional circumstance), peruspoikkeamalla signals that the exception is pre‑determined by legislation rather than being a situational or discretionary decision.

Legal scholars note that the term helps maintain consistency across statutes by allowing a single phrase to introduce a set of well‑defined exceptions. Consequently, peruspoikkeamalla is an essential element in the precise drafting of legal texts in Finland.