Suomen perustuslaki

The Finnish Constitution (SDK 731/1999, Swedish: Finlands grundlag) is a unified constitution in force in Finland since 1 March 2000, replacing four separate constitutional laws previously in force. The new constitution brings together the previous constitutions, the 1919 form of government, the 1928 parliamentary order and the 1922 so-called on the basis of the Ministerial Liability Act and the Act on National Law, as well as subsequent amendments thereto, the provisions concerning the rights and obligations of citizens and key state bodies and their mutual relations - the foundations of Finnish democracy - in a centralized and modern form.

The Constitution has 131 articles divided into 13 chapters. Most of the provisions correspond to the pre-reform ones with minor amendments, and the 1995 fundamental rights provisions have been incorporated into the new Constitution almost as such. No new fundamental rights were added to the law in 2000.

When the new constitution was enacted, the aim was to bring the laws into line with the constitutions without making exceptions, and even according to the wording of the constitution, only "limited exceptions" to the constitution are possible. Under the new constitution, courts which have not been able to review the constitutionality of laws under the previous provisions are obliged to give priority to a constitutional provision if, in the present case, the application of ordinary law would be manifestly unconstitutional.