A3 Refereed book chapter or chapter in a compilation book

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Parliamentary Oversight in Finland




AuthorsBrunila, Tuukka; Salminen, Janne; Farzamfar, Mehrnoosh

EditorsSanja Bogojević, Xavier Groussot

Publication year2026

Book title Emergency and EU Law : The Case of Covid-19, Climate Change and Migration

Series titleSwedish Studies in European Law

Number in series21

First page 263

Last page279

ISBN978-1-5099-9332-1

eISBN978-1-5099-9335-2

ISSN1757-8124

DOIhttps://doi.org/10.5040/9781509993352.ch-013

Publication's open availability at the time of reportingOpen Access

Publication channel's open availability Open Access publication channel

Web address https://www.bloomsburycollections.com/monograph-detail?docid=b-9781509993352&tocid=b-9781509993352-chapter13

Self-archived copy’s web addresshttps://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/491442927

Self-archived copy's licenceCC BY NC ND

Self-archived copy's versionPublisher`s PDF


Abstract

In this chapter, we analyse how the Finnish Constitution facilitates parliamentary oversight and constitutional control of executive emergency measures. We first develop a theoretical perspective on parliamentary oversight (Section II). We then analyse the constitutional basis of emergency legislation in Finland and its limits in Section 23 of the constitution (Section III). Thereafter, we analyse the special emergency legislation in Finland – that is, the Emergency Powers Act – from the perspective of legislative oversight (Section IV), as well as the relevance of the constitution in this regard. The decision-making mechanisms available under section 23 of the Finnish constitution and the Emergency Powers Act mean that the Finnish parliament has a legislative oversight mandate during states of emergency. In addition, we highlight the role of the parliament in controlling the legality of emergency measures. While some have argued that the Finnish system in this context relies on political culture, we argue that the Finnish Constitution and other relevant legislation offer an important example of parliamentary control during emergencies (Section V).


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Funding information in the publication
Brunila's research on this chapter has been funded by the Government of Finland as a part of the The Lessons of the Pandemic Crisis -project (PAKO).


Last updated on 08/04/2026 10:45:27 AM