Legislation

(Adopted on June 11, 1999)

(In force since March 1, 2000)

(Document Status on January 1, 2000)

(Editor's Note: The ICL edition is based on the text of the official government translation)

Section 6 (Equality)

(2) No one shall, without an acceptable reason, be treated differently from other persons on the ground of sex, age, origin, language, religion, conviction, opinion, health, disability or other reason that concerns his or her person.

Section 17 (Right to one's language and culture)

(1) The national languages of Finland are Finnish and Swedish.

(2) The right of everyone to use his or her own language, either Finnish or Swedish, before courts of law and other authorities, and to receive official documents in that language, shall be guaranteed by an Act. The public authorities shall provide for the cultural and societal needs of the Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking populations of the country on an equal basis.

(3) The Sami, as an indigenous people, as well as the Roma and other groups, have the right to maintain and develop their own language and culture. Provisions on the right of the Sami to use the Sami language before the authorities are laid down by an Act. The rights of persons using sign language and of persons in need of interpretation or translation aid owing to disability shall be guaranteed by an Act.

Section 51 (Languages used in parliamentary work)

(1) The Finnish or Swedish languages are used in parliamentary work.

(2) The Government and the other authorities shall submit the documents necessary for a matter to be taken up for consideration in the Parliament both in Finnish and Swedish. Likewise, the parliamentary replies and communications, the reports and statements of the Committees, as well as the written proposals of the Speaker's Council, shall be written in Finnish and Swedish.

Section 122 (Administrative divisions)

(1) In the organization of administration, the objective shall be suitable territorial divisions, so that the Finnish-speaking and Swedish-speaking populations have an opportunity to receive services in their own language on equal terms

(2) The principles governing the municipal divisions are laid down by an Act.

Note: The complete text of the Constitution and further information on the constitutional background of Finland are provided by the International Constitutional Law Project at the University of Wuerzburg.

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