Skip to content

Finland 100 seminar examines Finland as a European state governed by the rule of law

Ministry of Justice
Publication date 27.10.2017 11.14
Press release

A seminar celebrating the centenary of Finland’s independence, to be organised by the Ministry of Justice in Helsinki on 31 October, will take a look at the European Union as a community of justice and Finland as a European state governed by the rule of law. The seminar will be opened by Minister of Justice Antti Häkkänen, and the keynote speech will be delivered by Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality.

Another speaker at the morning session is Urmas Reinsalu, the Estonian Minister of Justice, who will present the EU Justice Agenda during the Estonian Presidency. Allan Rosas, a Finnish judge from the Court of Justice of the European Union, will discuss justice, rights and European integration in his address. The morning session will be closed by a panel discussion debating the judicial systems, fundamental rights and economic growth.

In the afternoon, the seminar will focus on diversity among the population and the realisation of minority rights in Finland. Linguistic diversity and LGBTI equality are among the topics to be discussed. The seminar will look at how the linguistic rights and the rights of sexual and gender minorities are being realised in the 100-year-old Finland, and how equality among the diverse population could be secured in the future. 

The seminar is by invitation only, but the morning session and some of the afternoon sessions will be webcast at: https://publisher.qbrick.com/Embed.aspx?mcid=81230C6F816a9ebf. The morning session will take place in English.

These topics may also be discussed on Twitter with hashtags #ruleoflaw #suomi100oikeusvaltio #finland100rattstat

The seminar is organised as part of the activities of the Advisory Board on Language Affairs and the project Rainbow Rights, which has received funding from the EU Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme.

Programme of the seminar (sessions to be webcast)

31 October 2017 at 9.00–11.30, 12.30–13.30 and 15.30–16.00

Finland 100 years – Finnish and European perspectives on the rule of law 

The morning session will take place in English.

9.00–10.15 Rule of law, Finland and the European Union

Moderator: Päivi Leino-Sandberg, Professor of International and European Law, University of Eastern Finland; Academy of Finland Research Fellow

Opening words: Finland – a European state governed by the rule of law

Antti Häkkänen, Minister of Justice

Keynote speech: Justice systems and rule of law in the EU – state of play and challenges

Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality

EU Justice Agenda and the Estonian Presidency

Urmas Reinsalu, Minister of Justice, Estonia

Rights, justice and European integration

Allan Rosas, Judge, Court of Justice of the European Union

10.15–11.30 Panel discussion: judicial systems, fundamental rights and economic growth

Antti Häkkänen, Minister of Justice

Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality

Heikki Kanninen, Judge, General Court of the European Union

Anne Ramberg, Secretary General, Swedish Bar Association; Council Member, IBA International Bar Association

Teija Tiilikainen, Director, Finnish Institute of International Affairs

12.30–13.30 Panel discussion: Diverse Finland now and before

Discussion in Finnish

Moderator: Johanna Suurpää, Director, Unit for Democracy, Language Affairs and Fundamental Rights, Ministry of Justice

Michaela Moua, Project Coordinator, City of Vantaa

Juha Jokela, Programme Director, Finnish Institute of International Affairs

Markku Suksi, Professor of Public Law, Åbo Akademi University; Vice-Chair, Advisory Board on Language Affairs

Anne Nuorgam, Researcher, Sámi Research, University of Lapland

Liisa Kauppinen, PhD, Finnish Association of the Deaf

15.30–16.00 Looking ahead: conclusions and closing addresses

Conclusions will be presented in Finnish and Swedish.

Finland 100+ and genuine equality – conclusions from the thematic breakout sessions

Johanna Suurpää, Director, Ministry of Justice/Unit for Democracy, Language Affairs and Fundamental Rights

Next steps in the promotion of equality in Finland

Kirsi Pimiä, Non-Discrimination Ombudsman

Inquiries: Krista Nuutinen, Project Manager, tel. +358 295 150 084