Finland

Reservation contained in the instrument of ratification, deposited on 10 May 1990 - Or. Engl. - as amended by the partial withdrawals of reservation dated 20 December 1996, 30 April 1998, 1 April 1999 and 16 May 2001 - Or. Engl.

In accordance with Article 64 of the Convention [Article 57 since the entry into force of Protocol No 11], the Government of Finland makes the following reservation in respect of the right to a public hearing guaranteed by Article 6, paragraph 1, of the Convention.

For the time being, Finland cannot guarantee a right to an oral hearing insofar as the current Finnish laws do not provide such a right. This applies to:

1. proceedings before the Supreme Court in accordance with Chapter 30, Section 20, of the Code of Judicial Procedure and proceedings before the Courts of Appeal as regards the consideration of petition, civil and criminal cases to which Chapter 26 (661/1978), Sections 7 and 8, of the Code of Judicial Procedure are applied if the decision of a District Court has been made before 1 May 1998, when the amendments made to the provisions concerning proceedings before Courts of Appeal entered into force; and the consideration of criminal cases before the Supreme Court and the Courts of Appeal if the case has been pending before a District Court at the time of entry into force of the Criminal Proceedings Act on 1 October 1997 and to which existing provisions have been applied by the District Court;

2. proceedings, which are held before the Insurance Court as the Court of Final Instance, in accordance with Section 9 of the Insurance Court Act, if they concern an appeal which has become pending before the entry into force of the Act Amending the Insurance Court Act on 1 April 1999;

3. proceedings before the Appellate Board for Social Insurance, in accordance with Section 8 of the Decree on the Appellate Board for Social Insurance, if they concern an appeal which has become pending before the entry into force of the Act Amending the Health Insurance Act on 1 April 1999.

The provisions of the Finnish laws referred to above are attached to this reservation as a separate annex.

Partial withdrawal of reservation transmitted by a Note Verbale from the Permanent Representation of Finland, dated 16 May 2001, registered at the Secretariat General on 16 May 2001 - Or. Engl.

[...]

Whereas the relevant provisions of the Finnish legislation have been amended so as they no longer correspond to the present reservation as far as they concern proceedings before the Water Courts and the Water Court of Appeal, and as the present reservation concerning the proceedings before the County Administrative Courts and the Supreme Administrative Court is no longer relevant,

Now therefore Finland withdraws the reservation in paragraph 1 above, as far as it concerns proceedings before the Water Courts and before the Water Court of Appeal. Finland also withdraws the reservation in paragraph 2 above concerning proceedings before the County Administrative Courts and the Supreme Administrative Court.