rikosmerkintä

Rikosmerkintä refers to the official recording of a criminal conviction in Finland. When a person is found guilty of a criminal offense by a court of law, this conviction is registered in the national criminal record, known as the rikosrekisteri. This record is maintained by the Finnish Criminal Records Bureau, Oikeusrekisterikeskus.

The rikosmerkintä includes details about the offense, the court that made the decision, the date of the conviction, and the sentence imposed. The information is stored for a specified period, which varies depending on the severity of the crime and the age of the offender at the time of the offense. For most offenses, records are removed after a certain number of years following the completion of the sentence.

Access to the criminal record is strictly regulated. Generally, only the individual concerned, law enforcement agencies, and certain authorities with a legitimate need to know, such as for employment in specific sensitive positions or for immigration purposes, can access this information. Employers typically cannot directly request an extract from the criminal record for most job applications, but they can request a certificate of criminal background (rikosrekisteriote) for positions that require a high degree of trust or involve working with vulnerable individuals. The purpose of the rikosmerkintä is to serve as a record of past offenses for legal and administrative purposes, contributing to public safety and the functioning of the justice system.