The Constitution of Finland: A Contextual Analysis
Jaakko Husa - Hart Publishing Limited, 2011
 |
| Vai alla copia |
Finland is a small modern Nordic country
with a politically stable welfare system and a constitutional history dating
back to the 1700s. The constitutional system, which contains features retained
from the years of Swedish and Russian rule, was reconstituted by the arrival of
independence in 1917, and was reformed by the Constitution Act (Perustuslaki) in
2000. The system, which is formally rigid but actually flexible, is
characterized by unique tensions, including parliamentarism versus
presidentialism, and a high level of constitutionalism versus the virtual
absence of judicial review. This book - part of the Constitutional Systems of
the World series by Hart Publishing, Oxford - offers an introduction to the
history and current content of the Finnish Constitution, including chapters on
the constitutional background, democratic institutions and their functions,
judicial institutions and their role in securing the rule of law, fundamental
rights, and future directions and challenges. The constitutional effect of the
EU and the European Court of Human Rights are discussed, and, where appropriate,
a comparative dimension is offered, providing a clearer view of the strengths
and weaknesses of the Finnish system. The book is contextual and critical,
providing students and teachers of constitutional law and politics with a
reliable and concise resource which will facilitate understanding of the living
Constitution and the debates surrounding it. It is written in an uncomplicated
manner, with an emphasis on clarity, and includes lists for further reading and
relevant websites at the end of each chapter.
