At the core of the rule of law – key objectives of the judiciary for the coming years have now been defined

“One of the key objectives of the new strategy is to strengthen the internal steering and development of the judiciary,” says Mika Ilveskero, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Courts Administration.

The strategy includes the basic role, vision and key objectives of the judiciary. The basic task is unchanged and derives from the Constitution of Finland. It is the duty of independent and impartial courts to provide legal protection by resolving the civil, criminal and administrative cases that have been brought before them. The vision emphasises the role of the judiciary and the quality of legal protection and summarises the will of the next ten years: At the heart of the rule of law – The courts provide high-quality legal protection expeditiously and using modern methods.

The main objectives of the judiciary during the strategy period are related to the development of its activities, the promotion of the competence and wellbeing of staff and active influence in order to safeguard the basic conditions for the judiciary's activities. The aim of the activities and services is to meet the needs of society and people, for example by resolving matters expeditiously, by ensuring equal access to justice throughout the country, and by ensuring that the courts provide a high-quality and uniform experience of dealing.

Once the strategy has been adopted, it will be implemented by the courts and the National Courts Administration.

“We will begin to prepare measures to achieve the objectives”, says Riku Jaakkola, Director General of the National Courts Administration.

The previous strategy of the judiciary was from 2015. The entire staff of the judiciary and key stakeholders participated in the preparation of the new strategy. The strategy was drawn up in working groups with strong representation of courts and the National Courts Administration. The steering group of the strategy was chaired by the Presidents of the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court.

“A successful strategy made together sets objectives for the development of the coming years, which requires everyone's input,” says the President of the Supreme Court, Tatu Leppänen.

The judiciary comprises all courts in Finland and the National Courts Administration responsible for their central administration as well as the Judicial Appointments Board and the Judicial Training Boards.

Further information:
Anu Koivuluoma, Head of Court Support and Public Affairs, tel. 029 565 0525, [email protected], who will also receive requests to contact Mika Ilveskero, Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Courts Administration.