Supervision of the Government and the President of the Republic
The Chancellor of Justice supervises the legality of decisions made at the government plenary sessions as well as presidential sessions at which the President of the Republic makes decisions.
In the preparatory phase of decision-making, the Chancellor of Justice
- upon request, provides the President of the Republic, the Government and the ministries with information and statements on legal issues related to the decisions of the President of the Republic and the government plenary session
- inspects the documents presented to the Government and the President in advance.
The Chancellor of Justice is present at events concerning decision-making, including:
- government plenary sessions
- presidential sessions
- cabinet evening sessions and negotiations.
If necessary, the Chancellor of Justice will notify that the decision-making is unlawful. However, the Chancellor of Justice does not have the right to obstruct decision-making. If the notice is ignored, the position of the Chancellor of Justice is recorded in the Government minutes and, if necessary, he may take other measures.
After the decision-making process, the Chancellor of Justice will check the minutes and process any complaints concerning the decisions. In addition, the Chancellor of Justice may, on his own initiative, examine a decision in which there is reason to suspect an erroneous procedure. The Chancellor of Justice also investigates complaints concerning the official duties of the Government and the President.
The Chancellor of Justice may inform the Constitutional Law Committee that the committee should examine the lawfulness of a minister’s official duties. The Chancellor of Justice may report to the Parliament that the President of the Republic has committed an offence referred to in the Constitution of Finland in his official duties, and as a result, the Parliament may decide to prosecute the President of the Republic.