# Minister of Justice (Finland)

The Minister of Justice (Finnish: oikeusministeri, Swedish: justitieminister) is a Finnish Government ministerial position. The Minister of Justice is in charge of the Ministry of Justice.
Finland's incumbent Minister of Justice for the Orpo Cabinet is Leena Meri of the Finns Party.

## List of ministers of justice

| No. | Justice Minister | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Party | Cabinet |
| 1 | Onni Talas (1877–1958) | 27 November 1917 | 27 November 1918 | 1 year, 0 days | Young Finnish | Svinhufvud I Paasikivi I |
| 2 | Karl Söderholm (1859–1948) | 27 November 1918 | 15 August 1919 | 261 days | RKP | Ingman I K. Castrén |
| 3 | Hjalmar Kahelin (1868–1958) | 15 August 1919 | 30 January 1920 | 168 days | National Progressive | Vennola I |
| (2) | Karl Söderholm (1859–1948) | 15 March 1920 | 28 June 1920 | 105 days | RKP | Erich |
| 4 | Hjalmar Granfelt (1874–1957) | 28 June 1920 | 9 April 1921 | 285 days | RKP | Erich |
| 5 | Heimo Helminen (1878–1947) | 9 April 1921 | 24 February 1922 | 321 days | National Progressive | Vennola II |
| 6 | Albert von Hellens (1879–1950) | 24 February 1922 | 2 June 1922 | 98 days | National Progressive | Vennola II |
| 7 | Frans Oskar Lilius (1871–1928) | 2 June 1922 | 14 November 1922 | 165 days | Independent | Cajander I |
| 8 | Otto Åkesson (1872–1939) | 14 November 1922 | 21 December 1923 | 1 year, 37 days | Centre | Kallio I |
| 9 | Elias Sopanen (1863–1926) | 21 December 1923 | 18 January 1924 | 28 days | National Progressive | Kallio I |
| (7) | Frans Oskar Lilius (1871–1928) | 18 January 1924 | 31 May 1924 | 134 days | Independent | Cajander II |
| (6) | Albert von Hellens (1879–1950) | 31 May 1924 | 31 March 1925 | 304 days | National Progressive | Ingman II |
| (7) | Frans Oskar Lilius (1871–1928) | 31 March 1925 | 31 December 1925 | 275 days | Independent | Tulenheimo |
| 10 | Urho Castrén (1886–1965) | 31 December 1925 | 13 December 1926 | 347 days | National Coalition | Kallio II |
| 11 | Väinö Hakkila (1882–1958) | 13 December 1926 | 17 December 1927 | 1 year, 4 days | SDP | Tanner |
| 12 | Torsten Malinen (1877–1951) | 17 December 1927 | 22 December 1928 | 1 year, 5 days | Independent | Sunila I |
| 13 | Anton Kotonen (1876–1936) | 22 December 1928 | 18 February 1929 | 58 days | Independent | Mantere |
| 14 | Oiva Huttunen (1887–1945) | 18 February 1929 | 16 August 1929 | 179 days | Independent | Mantere |
| 15 | Elieser Kaila (1885–1938) | 16 August 1929 | 4 July 1930 | 322 days | RKP | Kallio III |
| (2) | Karl Söderholm (1859–1948) | 4 July 1930 | 21 March 1931 | 260 days | RKP | Svinhufvud II |
| 16 | Toivo Kivimäki (1886–1968) | 21 March 1931 | 14 December 1932 | 1 year, 268 days | National Progressive | Sunila II |
| 17 | Hugo Malmberg (1864–1956) | 14 December 1932 | 27 February 1933 | 75 days | RKP | Kivimäki |
| 18 | Eric J. Serlachius (1884–1936) | 27 February 1933 | 6 March 1936 | 3 years, 8 days | RKP | Kivimäki |
| 19 | Emil Jatkola (1879–1948) | 6 March 1936 | 7 October 1936 | 215 days | RKP | Kivimäki |
| 20 | Urho Kekkonen (1900–1986) | 7 October 1936 | 12 March 1937 | 156 days | Centre | Kallio IV |
| 21 | Arvi Ahmavaara (1886–1957) | 18 March 1937 | 11 November 1938 | 1 year, 238 days | Independent | Cajander III |
| 22 | Albin Ewald Rautavaara (1873–1941) | 11 November 1938 | 13 October 1939 | 336 days | Independent | Cajander III |
| 23 | J. O. Söderhjelm (1898–1985) | 13 October 1939 | 27 March 1940 | 166 days | RKP | Cajander III Ryti I |
| 24 | Oskari Lehtonen (1885–1956) | 27 March 1940 | 8 August 1944 | 4 years, 134 days | National Coalition | Ryti II Rangell Linkomies |
| 25 | Ernst von Born (1885–1956) | 8 August 1944 | 17 November 1944 | 101 days | RKP | Hackzell U. Castrén |
| (20) | Urho Kekkonen (1900–1986) | 17 November 1944 | 26 March 1946 | 1 year, 129 days | Centre | Paasikivi II-III |
| 26 | Eino Pekkala (1887–1956) | 26 March 1946 | 29 July 1948 | 2 years, 125 days | SKDL | Pekkala |
| 27 | Tauno Suontausta (1907–1974) | 29 July 1948 | 17 March 1950 | 1 year, 231 days | SDP | Fagerholm I |
| 28 | Heikki Kannisto (1898–1957) | 17 March 1950 | 17 January 1951 | 306 days | National Progressive | Kekkonen I |
| 29 | Teuvo Aura (1912–1999) | 17 January 1951 | 20 September 1951 | 246 days | National Progressive | Kekkonen II |
| (20) | Urho Kekkonen (1900–1986) Acting | 20 September 1951 | 22 September 1951 | 2 days | Centre | Kekkonen III |
| 30 | Sven Högström (1908–1995) | 22 September 1951 | 17 November 1953 | 2 years, 56 days | RKP | Kekkonen III-IV |
| 31 | Reino Kuuskoski (1907–1965) | 17 November 1953 | 5 May 1954 | 169 days | Independent | Tuomioja |
| 32 | Yrjö Puhakka (1888–1971) | 5 May 1954 | 20 October 1954 | 168 days | Independent | Törngren |
| 33 | Aarre Simonen (1913–1977) | 20 October 1954 | 6 November 1954 | 17 days | SDP | Kekkonen V |
| 34 | Weio Henriksson (1903–1973) | 6 November 1954 | 3 March 1956 | 1 year, 118 days | Independent | Kekkonen V |
| 35 | Vilho Väyrynen (1912–2000) | 3 March 1956 | 2 May 1956 | 60 days | SDP | Fagerholm II |
| 36 | Arvo Helminen (1903–1988) | 2 May 1956 | 2 September 1957 | 1 year, 123 days | Independent | Fagerholm II Sukselainen I |
| (23) | J. O. Söderhjelm (1898–1985) | 2 September 1957 | 29 November 1957 | 88 days | Independent | Sukselainen I |
| 37 | Kurt Kaira (1894–1975) | 29 November 1957 | 26 April 1958 | 148 days | Independent | von Fieandt |
| (23) | J. O. Söderhjelm (1898–1985) | 26 April 1958 | 29 August 1958 | 125 days | Independent | Kuuskoski |
| (30) | Sven Högström (1908–1995) | 29 August 1958 | 13 January 1959 | 137 days | RKP | Fagerholm III |
| 38 | Antti Hannikainen (1910–1976) | 13 January 1959 | 14 April 1961 | 2 years, 91 days | Centre | Sukselainen II |
| 39 | Pauli Lehtosalo (1910–1989) | 14 April 1961 | 13 April 1962 | 364 days | Centre | Sukselainen II Miettunen I |
| (23) | J. O. Söderhjelm (1898–1985) | 13 April 1962 | 18 December 1963 | 1 year, 249 days | RKP | Karjalainen I |
| 40 | Olavi Merimaa (1908–1970) | 18 December 1963 | 12 September 1964 | 269 days | Independent | Lehto |
| (23) | J. O. Söderhjelm (1898–1985) | 12 September 1964 | 27 May 1966 | 1 year, 257 days | RKP | Virolainen |
| (33) | Aarre Simonen (1913–1977) | 27 May 1966 | 14 May 1970 | 3 years, 352 days | SDP | Paasio I Koivisto I |
| 41 | Keijo Liinamaa (1929–1980) | 14 May 1970 | 15 July 1970 | 62 days | Independent | Aura I |
| 42 | Erkki Tuominen (1914–1975) | 15 July 1970 | 26 March 1971 | 254 days | SKDL | Karjalainen II |
| 43 | Mikko Laaksonen (1927–2006) | 26 March 1971 | 30 September 1971 | 188 days | SDP | Karjalainen II |
| 44 | Jacob Söderman (born 1938) | 1 October 1971 | 29 October 1971 | 28 days | SDP | Karjalainen II |
| 45 | K. J. Lång (1934–1998) | 29 October 1971 | 23 February 1972 | 117 days | Independent | Aura II |
| 46 | Pekka Paavola (1933–2023) | 23 February 1972 | 4 September 1972 | 194 days | SDP | Paasio II |
| 47 | Matti Louekoski (born 1941) | 4 September 1972 | 13 June 1975 | 2 years, 282 days | SDP | Sorsa I |
| 48 | Inkeri Anttila (1916–2013) | 13 June 1975 | 30 November 1975 | 170 days | Independent | Liinamaa |
| 49 | Kristian Gestrin (1929–1990) | 30 November 1975 | 15 May 1977 | 1 year, 166 days | RKP | Miettunen II-III |
| 50 | Tuure Salo (1921–2006) | 15 May 1977 | 2 March 1978 | 291 days | Liberals | Sorsa II |
| 51 | Paavo Nikula (1942–2024) | 2 March 1978 | 26 May 1979 | 1 year, 85 days | Liberals | Sorsa II |
| 52 | Christoffer Taxell (born 1948) | 26 May 1979 | 30 April 1987 | 7 years, 339 days | RKP | Koivisto II Sorsa III-IV |
| (47) | Matti Louekoski (born 1941) | 30 April 1987 | 28 February 1990 | 2 years, 304 days | SDP | Holkeri |
| 53 | Tarja Halonen (born 1943) | 1 March 1990 | 26 April 1991 | 1 year, 56 days | SDP | Holkeri |
| 54 | Hannele Pokka (born 1952) | 26 April 1991 | 1 May 1994 | 3 years, 5 days | Centre | Aho |
| 55 | Anneli Jäätteenmäki (born 1955) | 1 May 1994 | 13 April 1995 | 347 days | Centre | Aho |
| 56 | Sauli Niinistö (born 1948) | 13 April 1995 | 2 February 1996 | 295 days | National Coalition | Lipponen I |
| 57 | Kari Häkämies (born 1956) | 2 February 1996 | 13 March 1998 | 2 years, 39 days | National Coalition | Lipponen I |
| 58 | Jussi Järventaus (born 1951) | 13 March 1998 | 15 April 1999 | 1 year, 33 days | National Coalition | Lipponen I |
| 59 | Johannes Koskinen (born 1965) | 15 April 1999 | 22 September 2005 | 6 years, 160 days | SDP | Lipponen II Jäätteenmäki Vanhanen I |
| 60 | Leena Luhtanen (born 1941) | 23 September 2005 | 19 April 2007 | 1 year, 208 days | SDP | Vanhanen I |
| 61 | Tuija Brax (born 1965) | 19 April 2007 | 22 June 2011 | 4 years, 64 days | Green | Vanhanen II Kiviniemi |
| 62 | Anna-Maja Henriksson (born 1964) | 22 June 2011 | 29 May 2015 | 3 years, 341 days | RKP | Katainen Stubb |
| 63 | Jari Lindström (born 1965) | 29 May 2015 | 5 May 2017 | 1 year, 341 days | Finns | Sipilä |
| 64 | Antti Häkkänen (born 1985) | 5 May 2017 | 6 June 2019 | 2 years, 32 days | National Coalition | Sipilä |
| (62) | Anna-Maja Henriksson (born 1964) | 6 June 2019 | 20 June 2023 | 4 years, 14 days | RKP | Rinne Marin |
| 65 | Leena Meri (born 1968) | 20 June 2023 | Incumbent | 1 year, 193 days | Finns | Orpo |
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