Finnish Legislation · Legal Reference

The Criminal Investigation Act (805/2011): Investigative Duties and Procedural Status

An overview of rules governing criminal investigations, including relevant circumstances, procedural status and access to legal assistance.

At a glance

This page summarises selected provisions for legal-information and procedural-review purposes. It is not a substitute for the full statute or legal advice.

Principles of investigation

The investigation must establish circumstances necessary to decide whether an offence has been committed and who may be responsible. The statutory principles include investigating circumstances both supporting and opposing suspicion.

Objectivity

The investigation must be conducted without undue emphasis on circumstances supporting or opposing a suspect. This is relevant to collecting and assessing potentially exculpatory as well as incriminating material.

Procedural status and assistance

The Act distinguishes procedural roles, including a suspect and a person heard in another capacity. Correctly identifying and communicating status matters because procedural rights and duties may depend on it. The Act also addresses the right to use an assistant in an investigation.

Question for procedural review

At each stage of the investigation, what was the person’s procedural status, what rights were communicated, and how were potentially exculpatory circumstances addressed?

Primary Source

Read the statute on Finlex

English translations may be unofficial or may reflect amendments only up to the date stated on Finlex. The authoritative Finnish or Swedish text and applicable version prevail.