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🇫🇮 Finland /Energy & Infrastructure

Finnish Government Targets Serial Appeals That Delay Construction Projects

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Finland's government has appointed a working group to examine ways to curb repeated appeals that significantly delay construction projects and investments.
  • Options include advance court fees for appeals unrelated to the appellant's own interests, penalty fees for serial appellants, or both.
  • Justice Minister Leena Meri said the government must protect the constitutional right to appeal while preventing abusive filings.

Finland’s government is preparing legislation aimed at people who repeatedly appeal construction decisions and, in the government’s view, use the legal system to delay projects. Justice Minister Leena Meri said she had appointed a working group to explore possible solutions.

The misuse of justice in so-called appeal farming must be prevented.

· Leena MeriFinland's justice minister described the government's goal in addressing repeated appeals.

One option under consideration is an advance fee for administrative court appeals. The fee could apply to appeals that do not concern the appellant’s own affairs. The ministry is also examining a system of penalty payments for serial appellants, and Meri said both measures could ultimately be used.

The issue has gained attention because appeals made for harassment can significantly delay construction projects and investments. Authorities must process every appeal, even when it is unsuccessful. Helsingin Sanomat reported cases in Tampere in which dozens of appeals filed by one resident had substantially slowed construction.

Everyone in Finland must have the opportunity to seek justice.

· Leena MeriMeri emphasized that any new fees must not remove access to the courts.

Meri repeatedly stressed that people must retain access to the courts. “Everyone in Finland must have the opportunity to seek justice,” she said, noting that most people appeal decisions for legitimate reasons. “They must be allowed to appeal. That is the starting point, guaranteed by our Constitution and international treaties. This is not a dictatorship.”

They must be allowed to appeal. That is the starting point, guaranteed by our Constitution and international treaties. This is not a dictatorship.

· Leena MeriShe defended the general right to challenge official decisions.

The current administrative court fee is €310. It is waived when the court changes a decision in the appellant’s favor or when the applicant receives legal aid. Meri acknowledged that requiring payment before a case is accepted could make appeals harder for people with limited means, although people eligible for legal aid would remain exempt. She also said defining which appeals concern a person’s own affairs could be difficult. “This is not an easy exercise,” Meri said. “But something must be done to bring some order to this issue.”

This is not an easy exercise, but something must be done to bring some order to this issue.

· Leena MeriMeri acknowledged the difficulty of designing rules against abusive appeals.
About this summary

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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