yhdistelmäperiaate

Yhdistelmäperiaate, often translated as the "combination principle" or "principle of accumulation," is a legal concept in Finnish law. It refers to the principle that when a person commits multiple offenses, their penalties may be combined to form a single, aggregate punishment. This principle is primarily applied in criminal law to ensure that sentences for distinct criminal acts are proportionate and do not result in an unduly lenient overall sentence.

The yhdistelmäperiaate comes into play when a court is sentencing an individual for several crimes. Instead of simply adding up the maximum penalties for each individual offense, the court considers the nature and severity of each crime, the overall culpability of the offender, and aims to impose a sentence that reflects the totality of their criminal conduct. This often involves a more nuanced assessment than a straightforward summation of penalties.

The application of the yhdistelmäperiaate is guided by various factors. Courts consider the time elapsed between the offenses, the similarity or dissimilarity of the crimes, and whether the offenses represent a pattern of criminal behavior. The ultimate goal is to achieve a just and proportionate sentence that deters future offenses and upholds the principles of criminal justice. The specific rules and considerations for applying the yhdistelmäperiaate are detailed in Finnish criminal procedure legislation.