Ministry of Justice, Finland

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WHAT IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE COURT?

The Finnish courts are divided into two main groups: general courts and administrative courts. Administrative courts comprise the Supreme Administrative Court and eight administrative courts named after their seats as the Administrative Courts of Helsinki, Hämeenlinna, Kouvola, Kuopio, Oulu, Rovaniemi, Turku and Vaasa. The Åland Islands have their own Administrative Court.

Each administrative court administers justice in administrative matters in the area of one or several provinces. However, certain types of cases have been centralised to be dealt with by one administrative court only. For example matters of value-added tax and asylum are dealt with by the Administrative Court of Helsinki and matters under the Environmental Protection Act and the Water Act by the Administrative Court of Vaasa.

An administrative court hears appeals of individuals and corporations against decisions of the authorities in administrative matters. The appeals lodged with administrative courts concern among other things:

• taxation;
• social welfare and health care, such as decisions relating to subsistence support, support for the disabled, child welfare and mental health;
• matters relating to the environment, construction and land use, such as decisions on environmental and building permits;
• matters relating to municipal autonomy;
• decisions of the authorities on carrying on a trade or business;
• various charges imposed by the authorities, such as parking tickets, public transport penalty fares and waste charges.

In several matters, the appeal may be lodged directly with an administrative court. However, in taxation matters, municipal matters and several social matters a party who is not satisfied with the decision of an authority must first submit an adjustment request to the competent authority. The decision of this authority can then be appealed in an administrative court.

The English translation of the Administrative Judicial Procedure Act (586/1996) is found on the Internet at http://www.finlex.fi.

Updated on September 30, 2005