Chancellor of Justice of Finland
Encyclopedia
The Chancellor of Justice of Finland (Finnish
: oikeuskansleri, Swedish
: justitiekanslern) is a Finnish
government official who supervises authorities' (such as cabinet ministers and other public officials) compliance with the law and advances legal protection of Finnish citizens. The Chancellor investigates complaints against authorities' activities and may also start an investigation of his own initiative. The Chancellor attends cabinet meetings to ensure that legal procedures and regulations are followed. The Chancellor has wide ranging oversight, investigative and prosecutorial powers.
The Chancellor and his deputy are appointed by the President of Finland. The Chancellor is appointed for life.
The current Chancellor of Justice is LL.D. Jaakko Jonkka
.
in 1809 as an autonomous Grand Duchy
, the legal system remained basically the same. The duties of the Chancellor of Justice were given to the Procurator, who assisted the Governor-General
in supervising obedience of the law.
When Finland declared independence
in 1917, the title reverted back to Chancellor of Justice. The first Chancellor of Justice was Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
, who had served as Speaker of Parliament
and who was later to become the third President of Finland
. In 1919 also the post of a Parliamentary Ombudsman
was created. The Ombudsman and the Chancellor of Justice share many duties.
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
: oikeuskansleri, Swedish
Swedish language
Swedish is a North Germanic language, spoken by approximately 10 million people, predominantly in Sweden and parts of Finland, especially along its coast and on the Åland islands. It is largely mutually intelligible with Norwegian and Danish...
: justitiekanslern) is a Finnish
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
government official who supervises authorities' (such as cabinet ministers and other public officials) compliance with the law and advances legal protection of Finnish citizens. The Chancellor investigates complaints against authorities' activities and may also start an investigation of his own initiative. The Chancellor attends cabinet meetings to ensure that legal procedures and regulations are followed. The Chancellor has wide ranging oversight, investigative and prosecutorial powers.
The Chancellor and his deputy are appointed by the President of Finland. The Chancellor is appointed for life.
The current Chancellor of Justice is LL.D. Jaakko Jonkka
Jaakko Jonkka
Jaakko Jonkka is the current Chancellor of Justice of Finland . He was preceded by Paavo Nikula.Jonkka is an attorney. He worked previously at the University of Helsinki.-References:...
.
History
The Office of the Chancellor of Justice dates back to the 18th century, when Finland was part of the Kingdom of Sweden (see above). When Finland was annexed by the Russian EmpireRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
in 1809 as an autonomous Grand Duchy
Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland was the predecessor state of modern Finland. It existed 1809–1917 as part of the Russian Empire and was ruled by the Russian czar as Grand Prince.- History :...
, the legal system remained basically the same. The duties of the Chancellor of Justice were given to the Procurator, who assisted the Governor-General
Governor-General of Finland
Governor-General of Finland ; was the military commander and the highest administrator of Finland sporadically under Swedish rule in the 17th and 18th centuries and continuously in the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland between 1808 and 1917.-Swedish rule:...
in supervising obedience of the law.
When Finland declared independence
Finland's declaration of independence
The Finnish declaration of independence was adopted by the Parliament of Finland on 6 December 1917. It declared Finland an independent and sovereign nation state rather than an autonomous Russian Grand duchy.-Revolution in Russia:...
in 1917, the title reverted back to Chancellor of Justice. The first Chancellor of Justice was Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud
Pehr Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad , December 15, 1861 – February 29, 1944) was the third President of Finland from 1931 to 1937. Serving as a lawyer, judge, and politician in the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland, he played a major role in the movement for Finnish independence...
, who had served as Speaker of Parliament
Speakers of the Parliament of Finland
The Speaker of the Parliament of Finland , along with two Deputy Speakers, is elected by Parliament during the first plenary session each year. Speakers are chosen for a year at a time...
and who was later to become the third President of Finland
President of Finland
The President of the Republic of Finland is the nation's head of state. Under the Finnish constitution, executive power is vested in the President and the government, with the President possessing extensive powers. The President is elected directly by the people of Finland for a term of six years....
. In 1919 also the post of a Parliamentary Ombudsman
Parliamentary Ombudsman
The Parliamentary Ombudsman is the principal ombudsman authority in Finland, in Sweden and Iceland, charged with the supervision of the public authorities...
was created. The Ombudsman and the Chancellor of Justice share many duties.
Duties
- supervising the lawfulness of the official acts of the Government and the President of the Republic
- providing the President, the Government and the Ministries with information and opinions on legal issues
- supervising that the courts of law, other authorities and civil servants, public employees and other persons obey the law and fulfill their obligations when performing public tasks
- monitoring the implementation of basic rights and liberties and human rights
- supervising the conduct of advocates with the Finnish Bar Association
List of Chancellor of Justice
- Pehr Evind SvinhufvudPehr Evind SvinhufvudPehr Evind Svinhufvud af Qvalstad , December 15, 1861 – February 29, 1944) was the third President of Finland from 1931 to 1937. Serving as a lawyer, judge, and politician in the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland, he played a major role in the movement for Finnish independence...
1918 - Axel Fredrik Charpentier 1918–28
- Urho CastrénUrho CastrénUrho Jonas Castrén was a Finnish politician from the National Coalition Party and Prime Minister of Finland in 1944....
1928–1929 - Albert Alexander von Hellens 1930
- Albert Heikki Makkonen 1930–33
- Oiva Juho Aatami Huttunen 1933–44
- Toivo Tarjanne 1944–50
- Carl Gustaf Möller 1950–55
- Olavi Honka 1956–61
- Antti Juhana Hannikainen 1961–64
- Aarne Nuorvala 1964–65
- Jaakko Eljas Enäjärvi 1965–70
- Risto Jalmari Leskinen 1970–82
- Kai Korte 1982–86
- Jorma S. Aalto 1986–98
- Paavo NikulaPaavo NikulaPaavo Nikula is a former Chancellor of Justice of Finland and a former Member of the Parliament of Finland. He served as the justice minister from 1978-1979. He announced his resignation as Chancellor of Justice on 26 April, 2007, effective at the end of June...
1998–2007 - Jaakko JonkkaJaakko JonkkaJaakko Jonkka is the current Chancellor of Justice of Finland . He was preceded by Paavo Nikula.Jonkka is an attorney. He worked previously at the University of Helsinki.-References:...
2007-present
See also
- Judicial system of FinlandJudicial system of FinlandUnder the Constitution of Finland, everyone is entitled to have their case heard by a court or an authority appropriately and without undue delay. This is achieved through the judicial system of Finland.The Finnish judicial system consists of...
- Government of FinlandGovernment of FinlandFinland is a republic with a representative democracy governed accordingly to the principles of parliamentarism. Legislative power is vested in the Parliament of Finland . Executive power is exercised by the Cabinet, officially termed Council of State , which is led by the Prime Minister, the Head...
- Chancellor of JusticeChancellor of JusticeIn some countries, the Chancellor of Justice is a government official responsible for supervising the lawfulness of government actions. The Chancellor does not have the power to strike down laws In some countries, the Chancellor of Justice is a government official responsible for supervising the...
- OmbudsmanOmbudsmanAn ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...