ACT ON THE OPENNESS OF GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES , 
21.5.1999/621  
 
 (amendments up to 7.8.2015,  907/2015 included)  
 
Chapter 1 — General provisions  
 
Section 1 — Principle of openness  
(1) Official documents shall be in the public domain, unless specifically provided  
otherwise in this Act or another Act.  
(2) Specific provisions apply to the right to attend plenary sessions of Parliament,  
meetings of municipal councils and of other municipal bodies, court hearings and  
meetings of ecclesiastical bodies.  
 
Section  2 — Scope of application  
This Act contains provisions on the right of access to official documents in the  
public domain, officials’ duty of non -disclosure, document secrecy and any other  
restrictions of access that are necessary for the protection of publ ic and private  
interests, as well as on the duties of the authorities for the achievement of the  
objectives of this Act.  
 
Section 3 — Objectives  
The objectives of the right of access and the duties of the authorities provided in  
this Act are to promote openness and good practice on information management  
in government, and to provide private individuals and corporations with an opportunity  
to monitor the exercise of public authority and the use of public resources,  
to freely form an opinion, to influence  the exercise of public authority,  
and to protect their rights and interests.  
 
Section 4 — Authorities  
(1) For the purposes of this Act, authorities are defined as:  
(1) State administrative authorities and other State agencies and institutions;  
(2) courts of law and the other bodies for the administration of law;  
(3) State enterprises;  
(4) municipal authorities;  
(5) the Bank of Finland, including the Finance Supervision Authority,  
the National Pensions Institution of Finland and other independent  
institutio ns subject to public law; however, this Act applies to the  
documents of the Pensions Security Centre and the Agricultural Pensions  
Institute as provided in subsection 2;  
(6) Parliamentary agencies and institutions;  
(7) Åland authorities, when performing th e duties of State authorities in  
Åland;  
(8) independent boards, consultative bodies, committees, commissions,  
working groups, investigators, as well as auditors of municipalities  
and federations of municipalities, and other comparable organs appointed  
for the performance of a given task on the basis of an Act, a  
Decree or a decision of an authority referred to in paragraph 1, 2 or  
7. (2) The provisions on an authority also apply to corporations, institutions, foundations  
and private individuals appointed for the performance of a public task on  
the basis of an Act, a Decree or a provision or order issued by virtue of an Act or  
a Decree, when they exercise public authority. Separate provisions apply to access  
to the documents of the Evangelical Lutheran Chur ch. 
 
Section 5 — Official document  
(1) For the purposes of this Act, a document is defined as a written or visual  
presentation, and also as a message relating to a given topic or subject -matter  
and consisting of signs which, by virtue of the use to which they are put, are  
meant to be taken as a whole, but are decipherable only by means of a computer,  
an audio or video recorder or some other technical device.  
(2) An official document is defined as a document in the possession of an authority  
and prepared by  an authority or a person in the service of an authority, or a  
document delivered to an authority for the consideration of a matter or otherwise  
in connection with a matter within the competence or duties of the authority. In  
addition, a document is deemed  to be prepared by an authority if it has been  
commissioned by the authority; and a document is deemed to have been delivered  
to an authority if it has been given to a person commissioned by the authority or  
otherwise acting on its behalf for the performan ce of the commission.  
(3) Subject to the exceptions provided in subsection 5, the following are deemed  
not to be official documents:  
(1) a letter or other document sent to a person in the service of an authority  
or to an elected official because of another  task performed or  
position held by the recipient;  
(2) notes kept by a person in the service of an authority or a person  
commissioned by an authority and such drafts which have not yet  
been released for presentation or other consideration;  
(3) documents pr ocured for in -service training, information retrieval or  
any other comparable internal activity of an authority;  
(4) a document given to an authority for the performance of a task on  
behalf of a private party, or prepared for this purpose;  
(5) a document left with or handed in to an authority as lost property.  
(4) This Act applies to documents prepared for negotiations or communications  
between persons in the service of authorities or between authorities and private  
individuals or corporations acting on th eir behalf, or for other comparable internal  
activities of such authorities, only if the documents contain such information  
that, according to the archives legislation, they are to be archived. However, if the  
documents are archived, the authority may orde r that access to them may be  
granted only by permission of the authority.  
(5) The provisions on document secrecy in section 24 of this Act or in another Act  
apply also to documents referred to in subsection 3(2) and subsection 4.  
 
Chapter 2 — When document s enter the public domain  
 
Section 6 — When a document prepared by an authority enters the public  
domain  
(1) Unless otherwise provided on document publicity or secrecy or another restriction  
of access to information in this Act or another Act, a document p repared  by an authority shall enter the public domain as follows:  
(1) an entry in a continuously updated diary or comparable register enters  
the public domain when it is made; however, information on a  
suspect in the diary of a prosecutor enters the public  domain only after  
the application for a summons or the prosecutor’s summons of  
the suspect has been signed or verified in a similar manner, or after  
the public prosecutor has decided to waive prosecution or the case  
has been withdrawn; (458/2011)  
(2) in c ases other than those referred to in paragraphs 3 and 4, an invitation  
to tender, to provide information or to comment, as well as a  
proposal, a proposition, a motion, a notification and a petition, including  
any appendices, enters the public domain when it has been  
signed or confirmed in another comparable manner;  
(3) in cases relating to a service or procurement contract or any other  
contract based on tenders, a request for information supplementary  
to the tender and any other accounts and documents prep ared for  
the consideration of such tenders enter the public domain when the  
contract has been awarded;  
(4) the budget propositions of ministries and the agencies and institutions  
within their fields of competence enter the public domain when  
the Ministry of Finance has signed its first position on the budget  
proposition; thereafter, the propositions sent to the Ministry of Finance  
from the other ministries and the other propositions drafted  
for and included in the budget proposal enter the public domain  
when the budget proposal has been submitted to Parliament;  
(5) studies and statistics, as well as other comparable accounts which,  
forming a coherent whole, contain information on the alternatives,  
reasons and impacts pertaining to a decision or plan of gene ral importance,  
even when they otherwise concern unfinished business, enter  
the public domain when they are fit for their purpose;  
(6) minutes enter the public domain when they have been scrutinised  
and signed or confirmed in a comparable manner, unless th ey have  
been kept for the preparation of a matter or for the internal use of the  
authority;  
(7) a court order or judgment enters the public domain from the moment  
it is handed down or when it is made available to the parties;  
(8) a decision, a statement, a n instrument and a contractual commitment  
of an authority, as well as the pertinent memoranda, minutes  
and other documents not referred to in paragraphs 1 —3 or 5 —7, enter  
the public domain when the decision, statement, instrument or  
contract has been signed or confirmed in a corresponding manner;  
(9) a document not referred to in paragraphs 1 —3 or 5 —7 enters the  
public domain when the consideration of the pertinent matter has  
been concluded by that authority.  
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions in subse ction 1, commission reports, discussion  
papers and other similar documents intended for general dissemination enter  
the public domain when they are in the possession of an authority for dissemination.  
(3) If an instrument or other document is to be issued,  the authority shall, where  
necessary, make its best effort to provide the parties to the matter with information  on the contents of the document before it enters the public domain.  
 
Section 7 — When a document delivered to an authority enters the public  
domain  
(1) Unless otherwise provided on document publicity or secrecy or another restriction  
of access to information in this Act or another Act, a document delivered  
to an authority for the consideration of a matter or otherwise in connection with a  
matter  within its jurisdiction or duties shall enter the public domain when the  
authority has received it.  
(2) Opinions of an expert witness and other such documents that are to be  
opened at a given time or after the lapse of a given period shall enter the publi c 
domain, subject to the restrictions referred to in subsection 1, when they have  
been opened. Tenders, offers and other documents related to public procurement  
enter the public domain, subject to the restrictions referred to in subsection 1,  
when the cont ract is awarded. (701/2011)  
(3) Unless otherwise provided in the rules of secrecy or some other restrictions of  
access, a document that can be deciphered only by means of a device enters the  
public domain at the earliest when it is available to an authority or a person acting  
on behalf of the authority.  
 
Section 8 — General dissemination of a document  
Statistics on the development of the national economy, initiatives and action  
plans of economic policy and other similar documents the contents of whi ch 
could obviously have an impact on the capital and financial markets, shall be  
generally disseminated as soon as possible after the event referred to in sections  
6 and 7.  
 
Chapter 3 — Right of access to a document  
 
Section 9 — Access to a document in the  public domain  
(1) Everyone has the right of access to an official document in the public domain.  
(2) Access to a document which is not yet in the public domain under sections 6  
and 7 shall be granted at the discretion of the authority. The provisions in s ection  
17 shall be taken into account when discretion is exercised.  
 
Section 10 — Access to a secret document  
No access to a secret document or its contents shall be granted, unless specifically  
provided otherwise in this Act. When only a part of a documen t is secret, access  
shall be granted to the public part of the document if this is possible without  
disclosing the secret part.  
 
Section 11 — Parties’ right of access  
(1) A petitioner, an appellant and any other person whose right, interest or obligation  
is concerned in a matter ( a party ) shall have the right of access, to be granted  
by the authority which is considering or has considered the matter, to the contents  
also of a document which is not in the public domain, if the document may  
influence or may have influenced the consideration of his or her matter.  
(2) A party, his or her representative or counsel shall not have the right of access  
referred to in subsection 1 above to:  (1) a document, access to which would be contrary to a very important  
public interest, the interest of a minor or some other very important  
private interest;  
(2) a document produced or prepared in the course of a criminal investigation  
or police inquiry before the completion of the investigation or  
inquiry, if access would impede t he clearing up of the case;  
(3) a presentation memorandum, a draft decision or a comparable document  
prepared by an authority for the preparation of a matter, before  
the consideration of the matter by that authority has been concluded;  
however, access to a  paper written in a matriculation examination  
and to the identity of the moderator designated by the Matriculation  
Examinations Board to mark the paper shall not be granted  
until the Board has finalised the marks given for the papers;  
(4) a document prepar ed or procured by an authority acting as a litigant  
in a trial, if access would be contrary to the interests of the public  
corporation or the corporation, foundation, institution or person referred  
to in section 4, subsection 2 in the trial;  
(5) informatio n in an enforcement case before the levying of execution  
and the taking of possession of property, if provision of the information  
would significantly hinder execution, nor to information other  
than regarding the economic situation of the debtor, unless the information  
is necessary for court action for the recovery of assets to a  
bankrupt estate or for the bringing of the action referred to in Chapter  
2, section 26 of the Execution Code; (713/2007)  
(6) information compiled in public procurement relating to a business or  
professional secret of another tenderer or offerer; however, information  
on the pricing and on other factors used in comparing the  
tenders shall always be provided; (701/2011)  
(6)(a) an application for a decision on providing evidence anon ymously or  
documentation relating to the preparation of such a decision nor  
documentation relating to a case concerning the revealing of the  
identity of an anonymous witness nor such secret information contained  
in trial documentation on these matters, on the basis of which  
the identity of an anonymous witness or someone who has been requested  
to be an anonymous witness may be revealed, unless provided  
otherwise in Chapter 5, section 11(d) of the Criminal Procedure  
Act (689/1997); (756/2015)  
[subsection 6(a ) enters into force on 1 January 2016]  
(7) the address, telephone number or other comparable contact information  
of a witness, an injured party, party or a person who has reported  
an offence, made a report referred to in section 40 of the Child  
Welfare Act  (683/1983) or another report giving rise to official action,  
if provision of the information would endanger the safety, interest or  
right of the witness, injured party, other party or the person making  
the report.  
[paragraph 7 is amended as of 1 January 2 016 to read as follows:  
(7) the secret address, telephone number and other comparable contact information  
of a witness other than one referred to in paragraph 6(a), an  
injured party or a party or of a person reporting an offence, making a  report referred to in section 25 of the Child Welfare Act (417/2007) or  
making another report requiring action by the authorities, if provision of  
the information would endanger the safety, interests or rights of the  
witness, injured party or party or the person making th e report;  
(756/2015)]  
(8) the secret part of the document that is at issue in the question on  
public access. (385/2007)  
(3) If a document forms part of the documentation in a civil or criminal trial, the  
provisions on access of a party contained in the Pub licity of Court Proceedings in  
General Courts (370/2007) and the Publicity of Proceedings in Administrative  
Courts (381/2007) apply to the right of a party to access. The provisions of Chapter  
4, section 15 of the Criminal Investigation Act (805/2011) appl y to the right of  
a party in a criminal investigation to access to information regarding a document  
produced or drafted in the criminal investigation. (825/2014)  
(4) What is provided in this section regarding parties does not apply to a person  
whose right of appeal is based solely on membership in a municipality or other  
association. (385/2007)  
 
Section 12 — Access to a document pertaining to the individual  
Unless otherwise provided in an Act, every individual has the right of access to  
information containe d in an official document and pertaining to themselves, subject  
to the restrictions provided in section 11, subsections 2 and 3.  
 
Chapter 4 — Granting access to a document  
 
Section 13 — Request for access to a document  
(1) A request for access to an official document shall be sufficiently detailed, so  
that the authority can determine which document the request concerns. The person  
requesting access shall be assisted, by means of official diaries and indexes,  
in specifying the document to which access is being requested. The person requesting  
access need not identify himself or herself nor provide reasons for the  
request, unless this is necessary for the exercise of the authority’s discretion or  
for determining if the person requesting access has the ri ght of access to the document.  
(2) When requesting access to a secret document, a personal data filing system  
controlled by an authority or any other document, access to which can be granted  
only subject to certain conditions, the person requesting access shall, unless  
specifically otherwise provided, declare the use to which the information is to be  
put, as well as give the other details necessary for determining whether the conditions  
have been met and, where necessary, explain what arrangements have been  
made for the protection of the information.  
 
Section 14 — Decision on access  
(1) Unless otherwise provided in section 15, subsection 3 or elsewhere in law, the  
decision to grant access to an official document shall be made by the authority in  
possession o f the document. However, a municipal council may, in municipal  
regulations, provide a municipal body serving as an authority as referred to in  
this Act the right to transfer to a subordinate official, to the extent it decides, the  
public authority to decid e on access. The decision to grant access to a document  
commissioned by an authority or to a document issued in connection with a task  performed on commission by any other authority shall be made by the commissioning  
authority, unless otherwise required by  the nature of the commission.  
(495/2005)  
(2) Access to the contents of a document shall be granted by an official or employee  
who has been so designated by the authority or to whom the task otherwise  
belongs by virtue of his or her office or duties.  
(3) If the official or the other person referred to in subsection 2 refuses to grant  
the requested access, he or she shall  
(1) inform the person requesting access of the reason for the refusal;  
(2) inform the person requesting access that he or she may have th e 
matter decided by the authority;  
(3) ask a person who has filed a written request for access whether he or  
she wishes to have the matter forwarded to that authority; and  
(4) inform the person requesting access of the charges involved in the  
consideration  of the request.  
(4) A matter referred to in this section shall be considered without delay, and access  
to a document in the public domain shall be granted as soon as possible,  
and in any event within two weeks from the date when the authority received the  
request for the document. If the number of the requested documents is large, if  
they contain secret parts or if there is any other comparable reason for the consideration  
and the decision of the matter requiring special measures or otherwise  
an irregular amount of work, the matter shall be decided and access to the document  
granted within one month of the receipt of the request for access by the  
authority.  
 
Section 15 — Forwarding the request for a document to another authority  
(1) If access is requested t o a document prepared by another authority or pertaining  
to a matter under consideration by another authority, the request may be  
forwarded to be dealt with by the authority that has prepared the document and  
is responsible for the consideration of the mat ter as a whole.  
(2) If access is requested to data identifying or providing the address of a person,  
corporation, real estate or vehicle or other data for identification or provision of  
address that is recorded by another authority for public use, the request may be  
forwarded to the appropriate register authority for consideration.  
(3) If access is requested to a document which, in accordance with section 25, is  
required to bear a security classification and which has been drafted by another  
authority, the request shall be transferred for the consideration of the authority  
that had drafted the document. A matter concerning a document classified as secret  
as referred to in the Act on International Security Classification Obligations  
(588/2004) shall be transferred to the authority to which the document has been  
submitted by the contractual party. (495/2005)  
 
Section 16 — Modes of access  
(1) Access to an official document shall be by explaining its contents orally to the  
requester, by giving the document to be studied, copied or listened to in the offices  
of the authority, or by issuing a copy or a printout of the document. Access to  
the public contents of the document shall be granted in the manner requested,  
unless this would unreasonably inconvenience t he activity of the authority owing  
to the volume of the documents, the inherent difficulty of copying or any other  comparable reason.  
(2) Access to the public information in a computerised register of the decisions of  
an authority shall be provided by issu ing a copy in magnetic media or in some  
other electronic form, unless there is a special reason to the contrary. Similar access  
to information in any other official document shall be at the discretion of the  
authority, unless otherwise provided in an Act. However, a copy may be provided  
of a video recording or other corresponding recording that contains a hearing or  
other event recorded by an authority in which a person is heard, only if the person  
heard in the recording consents to this or if with consideration to the contents  
of the recording it is apparent that the provision of a copy would not violate  
his or her privacy. (385/2007)  
(3) Access may be granted to a personal data filing system controlled by an authority  
in the form of a copy or a pri ntout, or an electronic -format copy of the  
contents of the system, unless specifically otherwise provided in an Act, if the  
person requesting access has the right to record and use such data according to  
the legislation on the protection of personal data. However, access to personal  
data for purposes of direct marketing, polls or market research shall not be  
granted unless specifically provided otherwise or unless the data subject has  
consented to the same.  
 
Chapter 5 — Duty of the authorities to promote ac cess and good practice on  
information management  
 
Section 17 — Taking the right of access into account in decision -making  
(1) When making decisions under this Act and also otherwise when performing its  
duties, an authority shall see to it that, in view of sections 1 and 3, access to information  
on the activities of the authority is not unduly or unlawfully restricted,  
nor more restricted than what is necessary for the protection of the interests of  
the person protected, and that persons requesting access ar e treated on an equal  
basis.  
(2) In the application of the provisions on document secrecy, attention shall also  
be paid to whether the secrecy obligation is independent of the case -by-case consequences  
of access ( strict secrecy ), whether any access to the document is based  
on the adverse consequences of access ( secrecy based on putative access ), or 
whether any access to the document requires that there manifestly are no adverse  
consequences of access ( secrecy based on putative secrecy ). 
(3) In considering the provision to a specified recipient of information that is to be  
kept secret from the public within the scope of secrecy based on putative access  
and secrecy based on putative secrecy, care shall be taken that the recipient has  
the obligation of confide ntiality in accordance with this Act and that information  
is provided to other than the authorities and to those working in such authorities,  
only if there is an important general reason for the provision of the information.  
(495/2005)  
 
Section 18 — Good p ractice on information management  
(1) In order to create and realise good practice on information management, the  
authorities shall see to the appropriate availability, usability, protection, integrity  
and other matters of quality pertaining to documents a nd information management  
systems and, for this purpose, especially:  (1) maintain an index of any matters submitted and taken up for consideration  
and any matters considered and decided, or otherwise make  
sure that their public documents can be easily loca ted; 
(2) draw up and make available specifications on their information management  
systems and the public information contained therein, unless  
granting access to such information would be contrary to the  
provisions in section 24 or in some other Act;  
(3) when the introduction of information management systems or administrative  
or legislative reforms are being prepared, analyse the effect  
of the proposed reform on the publicity, secrecy and protection of  
documents and on the quality of the information conta ined therein,  
as well as undertake the necessary measures for the safeguarding of  
the rights pertaining to the information and its quality, and for the  
arrangement of the protection of the documents, the information  
management systems and the information contained therein;  
(4) plan and realise their document and information administration and  
the information management systems and computer systems they  
maintain in a manner allowing for the effortless realisation of access  
to the documents and for the appro priate archiving or destruction of  
the documents, the information management systems and the information  
contained therein, as well as for the appropriate safeguarding  
and data security arrangements for the protection, integrity and  
quality of the document s, the information management systems and  
the information contained therein, paying due attention to the significance  
of the information and the uses to which it is to be put, to the  
risks to the documents and the information management systems  
and to the costs incurred by the data security arrangements;  
(5) see to it that their personnel are adequately informed of the right of  
access to the documents they deal with and the procedures, data security  
arrangements and division of tasks relating to the provisi on of  
access and the management of information, as well as to the safeguarding  
of information, documents and information management  
systems, and that compliance with the provisions, orders and guidelines  
issued for the realisation of good practice on infor mation management  
is properly monitored.  
[subsection (2) has been repealed; 635/2011)  
(3) The provisions in the Archives Act (831/1994) and the provisions and orders  
issued on the basis of that Act apply to the duties of the archive service.  
 
Section 19 — Duty of the authorities to provide access to information in  
pending matters  
(1) Unless otherwise follows from the secrecy provisions, an authority shall keep  
available the documents which contain information on  
(1) the initiation of a legislative reform project, a commission relating to  
the same, a deadline set and the person in charge of the drafting; and  
(2) plans, accounts and decisions on pending matters of general importance.  
(2) When requested to do so, the authority shall, orally or by other suitab le 
means, provide access to information on the stage of consideration, alternatives  
and impact assessments relating to matters referred to in subsection 1, as well as  on the opportunities of private individuals and corporations to exercise an influence  
on the matters.  
 
Section 20 — Duty of the authorities to produce and disseminate information  
(1) The authorities shall promote the openness of their activities and, where necessary  
for this purpose, produce guides, statistics and other publications, as well  
as information materials on their services and practices, as well as on the social  
conditions and developments in their field of competence. When the extent of this  
duty is being assessed, due consideration shall be given to the opportunities to  
obtain info rmation on the activity of the authority by means of access to its documents  
or the general compilations of statistics.  
(2) The authorities shall publicise their activities and services, as well as the  
rights and obligations of private individuals and corp orations in matters falling  
within their field of competence.  
(3) The authorities shall see to it that the documents or the pertinent indexes  
which are essential to the general public’s access to information are available  
where necessary in libraries or pu blic data networks, or otherwise easily accessible  
to the members of the public.  
 
Section 21 — Production of sets of data on request  
(1) When requested to do so, an authority may compile and deliver a set of data  
formed from signs contained in one or more computerised information management  
systems and maintained for various purposes, if such delivery is not contrary  
to the provisions on document secrecy and the protection of personal data owing  
to the search criteria used, the volume or quality of the data  or the intended  
use of the set of data.  
(2) Where permitted by the authorities concerned and subject to the provisions in  
subsection 1, the set of data may be compiled also from information management  
systems maintained by different authorities.  
 
Chapter 6 — Secrecy obligations  
 
Section 22 — Document secrecy  
(1) An official document shall be secret if it has been so provided in this Act or  
another Act, or if it has been declared secret by an authority on the basis of an  
Act, or if it contains information c overed by the duty of non -disclosure, as provided  
in an Act.  
(2) A secret official document, a copy or a printout thereof shall not be shown or  
given to a third party or made available to a third party by means of a technical  
interface or otherwise.  
 
Secti on 23 — Non-disclosure obligation and prohibition of use  
(1) A person in the service of an authority and an elected official shall not disclose  
the secret content of a document, nor information which would be secret if contained  
in the document, nor any ot her information obtained in the service of the  
authority, where covered by a confidentiality obligation provided in an Act. The  
provision on confidentiality shall apply also after the service or the performance of  
the task on behalf of the authority has ceased.  
(2) What is provided in subsection 1 applies also to a person serving as a trainee  or otherwise in an authority or commissioned by the authority or in the service of  
a person commissioned by the authority or who has acquired secret information  
on the basis of an Act or a permission based on an Act, unless otherwise provided  
in the Act or laid down in the permission. Also a person to whom an authority  
has, within the scope of secrecy based on putative access or secrecy based on putative  
secrecy, prov ided information that is to be kept secret from the public, has  
a confidentiality obligation. A party, his or her representative or counsel shall not  
disclose to third parties secret information obtained on the basis of party status  
and concerning other pe rsons than the party himself or herself. (495/2005)  
(3) A person referred to above in subsection 1 or 2 shall not use secret information  
for personal benefit or the benefit of another, nor for the detriment of another.  
However, a party, his or her represen tative and counsel may use information  
concerning a person other than the party himself/herself, where the matter  
concerns the right, interest or obligation on which the access of the party to  
the information is based.  
 
Section 24 — Secret official documents  
(1) Unless specifically provided otherwise, the following official documents shall  
be secret:  
(1) the documents of the Government Foreign Affairs Committee, unless  
otherwise decided by the Committee, as well as the political assessments  
of the Mi nistry for Foreign Affairs and the Finnish missions  
abroad, the documents concerning political or economic negotiations  
with a foreign state and the coded messages in the field of foreign affairs  
administration, unless otherwise decided by the Ministry;  
(2) the documents, other than those referred to in paragraph 1, concerning  
the relationship of Finland with a foreign state or an international  
organisation; the documents concerning a matter pending before an  
international court of law, an international i nvestigative body or some  
other international institution; as well as the documents concerning  
the relationship of the Republic of Finland, Finnish citizens, Finnish  
residents or corporations operating in Finland with the authorities,  
persons or corporatio ns in a foreign state, if access to such documents  
could damage or compromise Finland’s international relations  
or its ability to participate in international co -operation;  
(3) the reports of offences made to the police and other criminal investigation  
authorities, the prosecutor and the authorities charged with  
responsibility for inspection and supervision; the documents obtained  
or prepared for purposes of criminal investigations or the consideration  
of charges, as well as the application for a summons, t he 
summons and the defendant’s response in a criminal case, until the  
case has been heard in court or the prosecutor has decided to waive  
prosecution or the case has been withdrawn, unless it is apparent  
that access to the documents will not compromise the  clarification of  
the offence, the achievement of the objectives of the investigation, or  
without a pressing reason cause harm or suffering to a party, or  
compromise the right of the court to order that the documents are to  
be kept secret on the basis of the Act on the Publicity of Court Proceedings  
in General Courts (370/2007); (458/2011)  (4) the registers maintained by the police, and any other authorities carrying  
out criminal investigations for purposes of crime prevention  
and clearing up of the particulars of offences; the reports prepared  
for the prevention of crime; as well as the photographs and other  
identifying information taken or obtained in administrative proceedings  
for the determination or verification of identity and the right to  
trave l, and the special identification codes issued to a person or entered  
into his or her identity card or travel documents;  
(5) the documents containing information on the tactical and technical  
plans and methods of the police, the frontier guard, the customs  authorities  
and the prison authorities, if access would compromise the  
prevention of crime, the clearing up of offences or the maintenance of  
public order or the order of penal institutions;  
(6) documents relating to a complaint before a decision has been  made  
on the matter of the complaint, if access would compromise the resolution  
of the matter or without a pressing reason cause injury or suffering  
to a party;  
(7) documents relating to or affecting the realisation of the security arrangements  
of persons,  buildings, installations, constructions, and  
data and communications systems, unless it is obvious that access  
will not compromise the achievement of the objective of the security  
arrangements;  
(8) documents concerning preparations for accidents and emerg ency  
conditions, civil defence and the investigation of accidents in accordance  
with the Safety Investigation Act (525/2011), if access would  
breach or compromise safety or the promotion of safety, the realisation  
of civil defence or the preparation for em ergency conditions,  
compromise the safety investigations or the purpose of such investigations,  
endanger the securing of information for investigation or violate  
the rights of the victims of an accident, an incident or an exceptional  
event or the memory of  such victims or distress persons closely  
involved with them; (528/2011)  
(9) the documents of the security police and the other authorities concerning  
the maintenance of State security, unless it is obvious that  
access will not compromise State security;  
(10) documents concerning military intelligence, the supply, formations,  
locations or operations of the armed forces, the inventions, facilities,  
installations and systems used in the armed defence of the country  
or other defence, the other matters signific ant to the defence of the  
country, as well as defensive preparations, unless it is obvious that  
access will not violate or compromise the interests of defence;  
(11) documents containing information on decisions, measures or preparations  
in monetary policy or foreign exchange policy, as well as on  
the preparation of financial or income policy or research into the  
need for decisions or measures in the fields of financial policy, income  
policy, monetary policy or foreign exchange policy, if access  
would be contrary to the interests of the state as a social partner or  
otherwise significantly compromise the achievement of the purpose of  
the decision or measure or hamper the proper conduct of financial,  monetary or foreign exchange policy;  
(12) the reports prep ared for the performance of the statutory tasks of the  
authorities supervising the financial markets and insurance operators  
and the authorities charged with the functioning of the financial  
markets and the insurance systems, containing information on the  
functioning of the markets, the financial, insurance or pensions institutions,  
or their customers, if access would injure or compromise the  
credibility or functioning of the financial or insurance systems;  
(13) statistics on the national economy, a financial policy initiative and  
operational plan, and other such documents containing information  
which obviously may influence the capital and financial markets, before  
they have been publicly disseminated as provided in section 8;  
(14) documents containi ng information on endangered animal or plant  
species or the protection of important natural habitats, if access  
would compromise the protection of the species or the habitat;  
(15) documents that contain information that, in accordance with the Act  
on a Can didate’s Election Funding (273/2009), contain campaign accounts  
that are to be submitted to the National Audit Office of Finland,  
and corresponding other accounts of election campaign financing  
and the expenses of an electoral campaign, as well as document s 
containing information in inspections or other statutory supervisory  
tasks of an authority, if access would compromise the performance of  
the inspection or its purpose, or without a weighty reason would be  
conducive to causing harm to a party; (274/2009)  
(16) documents provided to the statistical authority for the compilation of  
statistics as well as documents that have been voluntarily given to an  
authority for the purpose of research or the compilation of statistics;  
(281/2004)  
(17) documents containing  information on any business or professional  
secret of the State, a municipality, some other public corporation or a  
corporation, institution or foundation referred to in section 4, subsection  
2, as well as documents containing other comparable business  
information, if access would cause economic loss to the corporations,  
institutions or foundations referred to above or improve the competitive  
position of another public corporation or private person pursuing  
the same or a competing activity, or reduce the opportunities of the  
public corporation or a corporation, institution or foundation referred  
to in section 4, subsection 2 for procurement, investment, financing  
or debt service on favourable terms;  
(18) documents containing information compiled or obtaine d by the State,  
a municipality or some other public corporation as a labour partner  
or a party to a labour dispute, if access would be contrary to the interests  
of the public corporation as an employer; documents containing  
information compiled or obtained  by the representatives of the  
State for negotiations on agricultural subsidies, if access would be  
contrary to the interests of the State as a negotiating party;  
(19) documents prepared or obtained by an authority acting as a litigant  
in a trial for purpo ses of preparing for the trial, if access would be  
contrary to the interests of the public corporation or a corporation,  institution, foundation or individual referred to in section 4, subsection  
2 in the trial;  
(20) documents containing information on a p rivate business or professional  
secret, as well as documents containing other comparable private  
business information, if access would cause economic loss to the  
private business, provided that the information is not relevant to the  
safeguarding of the hea lth of consumers or the conservation of the  
environment or for the promotion of the interests of those suffering  
from the pursuit of the business, and that it is not relevant to the duties  
of the business and the performance of those duties;  
(21) documents  concerning the basic materials for a dissertation or other  
scientific study, technological or other development project, or the  
assessment of the same, unless it is obvious that access will not  
cause inconvenience to the completion of the dissertation, study or  
development project or their exploitation, its appropriate assessment  
or the person carrying out the research, nor to the person commissioning  
the study or development project;  
(22) documents containing information on an entrance examination or  
other examination or test, if access would compromise the achievement  
of the objectives of the examination or test, or prevent the future  
use of the test;  
(23) documents containing data on the annual income or net worth of a  
person, data on the income and as sets on which a subsidy or benefit  
is based, or data that otherwise describes the economic situation of a  
person, as well as documents of the execution authority in so far as  
they contain information which, had it been entered into the execution  
register w ould be secret on the basis of the Execution Code, as  
well as information on natural persons as debtors in execution and  
the minutes of the evaluation of the assets and liquidity of the debtor;  
(713/2007)  
(24) documents concerning a refugee or a person see king asylum, a residence  
permit or a visa, unless it is obvious that access will not compromise  
the safety of the refugee, the applicant or a person closely  
involved with them;  
(25) documents containing information on a recipient of welfare or an individua l 
client of the labour administration and a benefit, support  
measure, social service or service of the labour administration for individual  
clients given to him or her, or information on the state of  
health or handicap of a person, the medical care or treatment given  
to him or her, or information on his or her sexual behaviour and  
preferences; (1060/2002)  
(26) documents containing sensitive information on the private life of the  
suspect of an offence, an injured party or another person involved in  
a criminal matter, as well as documents containing information on  
the victim of an offence, if access would violate the rights or the  
memory of the victim or cause distress to those close to him or her,  
unless the granting of access is necessary for the perf ormance of an  
official task;  
(27) documents containing information on a forensic psychiatric examination  of the suspect in an offence, a social enquiry report prepared regarding  
a young offender, a plan for the term of a juvenile penalty, an  
assessment of the feasibility of community service as an alternative  
to a sentence of imprisonment, an assessment of the prerequisites for  
a monitoring sentence and a plan for enforcement, an adjusted plan  
for enforcement, a plan for the term of a sentence, a plan for r elease  
from prison, a plan for supervision, and a statement issued in respect  
of the release procedure for a long -term prisoner; (333/2011)  
[paragraph 27 has been amended as of 1 January 2016 to read as follows:  
(27) documents containing information on a f orensic psychiatric examination  
of the suspect in an offence, an assessment of the suitable sanction  
for a young person suspected of an offence, a plan for the term of  
a juvenile penalty, an assessment of the feasibility of community service  
or a monitorin g sentence as an alternative to a sentence of imprisonment,  
an assessment of the prerequisites for a monitoring sentence,  
a plan for the term of a sentence, a plan for release from prison,  
a plan for supervision, and a statement issued in respect of the  
release procedure for a long -term prisoner; (405/2015)  
(28) administrative documents and registers containing information on  
convicted persons or on persons who have been imprisoned or otherwise  
deprived of their liberty, unless it is obvious that access w ill not  
compromise the future livelihood of the person, his or her reintegration  
into society or his or her safety and if there is a justifiable reason  
for providing access to the information; other secret information is information  
entered into the crimin al records, the register of fines, the  
national information system for the administration of justice and the  
register on prohibitions to raise livestock, information contained in  
the register on witness protection programmes and other information  
regarding  a witness protection programme, as well as information  
collected by the Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy for research  
and follow -up purposes; (91/2015)  
(29) documents containing information on a psychological test or aptitude  
test on a person or the results thereof, or on the assessments for the  
assignment of conscripts, the selection of employees or the establishment  
of the basis for a salary;  
(30) documents on student welfare and exemptions from teaching, the  
test results of students and candida tes and the school diplomas and  
other documents containing a verbal assessment of the personal  
characteristics of the student, as well as documents indicating the  
Matriculation Examination Board's division of moderators among the  
schools putting forward ca ndidates for the matriculation examination,  
until one year has passed from the examination round in question;  
(31) documents containing information on a secret telephone number given  
by a person or information on the location of a mobile communications  
device, and documents containing information on the person’s  
domicile, place of residence or temporary place of residence,  
telephone number or other contact information, if the person has  
asked for the information to be kept secret and he or she has a just ified 
reason to believe that his or her own health or safety or that of  his or her family are in jeopardy; (1151/2001)  
(31)(a) an application for a decision on an anonymous witness and the documents  
connected with the preparation of the application as well  as 
the documents connected with a case concerning revelation of the  
identity of an anonymous witness as well as the trial documents that  
concern these cases, unless provided otherwise in Chapter 5, section  
11(d) of the Criminal Procedure Code; (756/2015)  
[paragraph 31(a) enters into force on 1 January 2016; 756/2015]  
(32) documents containing information on the political convictions or the  
privately expressed views of a person, or information on a person’s  
lifestyle, participation in voluntary associations  or leisure -time activities,  
family life or other comparable personal circumstances of the  
person; however, documents containing information on the activity of  
a person in political or other elected office, or his or her seeking such  
office, as well as the  participation of a person in the establishment or  
registration of a political party, or the establishment of an electoral  
association are in the public domain.  
(2) What is provided in section 17 shall be taken into account in the application of  
the provis ions on document secrecy in subsection 1 above or in another Act.  
 
Section 25 — Stamp of secrecy and classification (495/2005)  
(1) A secret official document which is given to a party and which is to be kept  
secret in the public interest or the interest of  a third party shall be stamped to  
indicate that it is secret. The party shall be informed of his or her secrecy obligation  
also when secret information is provided orally.  
(2) The stamp may be affixed also to other than the secret documents referred to  
in subsection 1. The stamp of secrecy shall indicate the part of the document that  
is secret and the basis for its secrecy. However, if the secrecy is based on a provision  
involving strict secrecy, the stamp of secrecy need not indicate more than the  
provisi on on which the secrecy is based.  
(3) A document may be stamped in order to indicate the security classification  
obligations are to be followed in dealing with the document (security classification  
stamp). Documents referred to in the Act on International Security Classification  
Obligations shall be stamped with the security classification as provided in said  
Act. A security classification stamp shall be made also if so provided in a Government  
Decree on the basis of section 36 of the present Act.  
 
Chapter 7 — Derogations from secrecy and declassification  
 
Section 26 — General principles for granting access to secret information  
(1) An authority may provide access to a secret official document, if:  
(1) there is a specific provision on such access or on the r ight of such  
access in an Act; or  
(2) the person whose interests are protected by the secrecy provision  
consents to the access.  
(2) Notwithstanding the secrecy provisions, the authority may grant access to information  
on the economic status or business or professional secret of another  
person, information on a recipient of health care or social welfare, information on  
the private life of a person, as referred to in section 24, subsection 1(32), or comparable  information that is secret under another Act, if access is necessary:  
(1) for the realisation of a private person's or some other authority's  
statutory duty of information; or  
(2) for the realisation of a payment or any other claim that is to be taken  
care of by the authority granting access.  
An authorit y may grant access to a secret document in order to carry out executive  
assistance and for the performance of a task that is commissioned by it or  
otherwise to be performed on its behalf, if such access is indispensable for the  
assistance or the performance of the task. For such tasks, access to secret information  
may be granted also if the removal of the secret information is obviously  
not feasible owing to its large volume or for any other comparable reason. The authority  
shall ensure in advance  that the arrangements for the secrecy and the  
protection of the information are appropriate.  
Section 27 — Access to archival documents  
(1) Access may be granted to a secret official document which has been archived  
in accordance with the Archives Act for research or another approved purpose,  
unless otherwise ordered by the authority which has sent the document to be archived.  
When a decision on access is made, due consideration shall be given to  
the safety of the freedom of scientific research.  
(2) The per son who has gained access to the document shall undertake in writing  
not to use the document to the detriment or defamation of the person whom it  
concerns, nor to the detriment or defamation of a person close to him or her, nor  
in violation of the other in terests protected by the secrecy provision.  
 
Section 28 — Official permission to gain access to a secret document  
(1) Unless otherwise provided in an Act, an authority may, on a case -to-case basis,  
grant permission to gain access to a secret document for purposes of scientific  
research, statistical compilations or the preparation of official plans or studies,  
if it is obvious that access will not violate the interests protected by the secrecy  
provision. When a decision on access is made, due consideration shall be given  
to the safety of the freedom of scientific research. If the information in the document  
has been handed over to the authority on the consent of the person whose  
interests are protected by the secrecy provision, the permission may be granted  
only subject to the conditions for use and access laid down in the consent. If  
permissions are required for documents in the possession of a number of authorities  
within the purview of the same ministry, the ministry shall decide on the  
permission after, w here necessary, having heard the authorities.  
(2) A permission referred to in subsection 1 above may be granted for a fixed period;  
the conditions necessary for the protection of the public and private interests  
involved shall be attached to the permission . The permission may be withdrawn if  
this is deemed to be necessary.  
 
Section 29 — Granting access to secret information to some other authority  
(1) An authority may grant access to a secret document to some other authority,  
if 
(1) there is a specific provision on access or the right of access in an Act;  
(2) the person whose interests are protected by the secrecy provision  
consents to the same;  
(3) the document is necessary for the consideration of a matter pertaining  to advance information, a prelimina ry ruling, an appeal or a complaint  
against a decision by an authority, an appeal for nullification  
or a submission regarding a measure taken by an authority, or a  
complaint made to an international body for the administration of  
justice or investigation;  
(4) the information is required for the performance of a specific monitoring  
or inspection task by the authority.  
(2) An authority may grant another authority access to an address or other contact  
information which is secret by virtue of section 24, subsec tion 1(31).  
(3) An authority may open a technical interface for another authority in order to  
access, from its personal data filing system, information which the latter authority  
must take into account in its decision -making under a specific statutory obli gation.  
If there is a provision on the secrecy of personal data, the interface may be  
used only for retrieving information on persons who have consented to the same,  
unless specifically otherwise provided on access to secret information.  
 
Section 30 — Gran ting access to secret information to the authority of a  
foreign state or to an international institution  
In addition to the specific statutory provisions on the same, an authority may  
grant access to a secret official document to an authority of a foreign state or to  
an international institution, if an international agreement binding on Finland  
contains a provision on such co -operation between Finnish and foreign authorities,  
or there is a provision to this effect in an Act binding on Finland, and if the  
Finnish authority in charge of the co -operation could under this Act have access  
to the document.  
 
Section 31 — Declassification of an official document (495/2005)  
(1) An official document shall no longer be secret when the period of secrecy provided  
in an Act or ordered on the basis of an Act has ended or when the authority  
which has ordered the secrecy of the document has revoked that order.  
(2) The period of secrecy for official documents is 25 years, unless otherwise provided  
or ordered on the basis of law. A document which is secret for the protection  
of private life, as provided in section 24, subsection 1, paragraphs 24 -32, or  
a comparable document which is kept secret on the basis of another Act or an  
order based on another Act shall be kept secret f or 50 years after the death of the  
person whom the document concerns or, if the time of death is unknown, for 100  
years.  
(3) A document which contains information that is classified in accordance with  
the Act on International Security Classification Obliga tions, or information on real  
estate, a building, a construction, a system, a device or a procedure that is in  
use even after the 25 year period referred to in subsection 2, as well as a plan  
and assessment that has been prepared for national defence or ci vil defence or for  
preparedness for exceptional circumstances, the information in which is contained  
in a corresponding and valid plan, shall remain secret even after the period  
referred to in subsection 1, if access to the document would continue to cause  the 
consequence referred to in section 24, subsection 1, paragraph 2, 7 and 8 or 10  
of this Act. Such documents become public when the real estate, installation or  
device is no longer used for the purpose for which the document was to be kept  
secret, or t he information is no longer contained in a valid plan or the security  classification has been cancelled.  
(4) If it is obvious that the declassification of the document would, even after the  
period provided in this section, cause significant harm to the int erests protected  
by the secrecy provision, the Government may extend the period by at most 30  
years. What is provided above however, does not apply to documents referred to  
in subsection 3.  
(5) The period of secrecy of an official document shall run from t he date indicated  
in the document or, if the document bears no date, from the day of its completion.  
The period of secrecy of a document submitted to an authority by a private  
person shall run from the day when the authority has received the document.  
 
Section 32 — Application to the duty of non -disclosure  
The provisions in this chapter on secrecy and declassification apply, where appropriate,  
also to information subject to the duty of non -disclosure.  
 
Chapter 8 — Miscellaneous provisions  
 
Section 33 — Appeal  
(1) A decision of an authority referred to in this Act is subject to appeal to the  
Administrative Court, unless otherwise provided in subsection 2. However, a decision  
of the Office of Parliament, of the Council of State and of a Ministry as well  
as of an organ of the Bank of Finland and the Social Insurance Institution of Finland  
or of an authority that is part of their central administration, appointed by  
Parliament, is subject to appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court. The provisions  
of the Ac t on Administrative Judicial Procedure (586/1996) otherwise apply.  
(701/2005)  
(2) The provisions of the Act on the Publicity of Court Proceedings in General  
Courts and the Act on the Publicity of Proceedings in Administrative Courts apply  
to appeal in a ca se that concerns the publicity of court proceedings. (385/2007)  
(3) If a person required to pay a charge considers that an error has occurred in  
imposing the charge on the basis of section 34 of this in accordance with the Act  
on Criteria for Charges Payab le to the State (150/1992), he or she may within six  
months of the imposition of the charge request that the authority which has imposed  
the charge rectify it. The decision on the request for rectification is subject  
to appeal as provided in the Act on Adm inistrative Judicial Procedure by appeal  
to the Administrative Court with has jurisdiction on the basis of section 12 of the  
Act on Administrative Judicial Procedure. The decision of the Administrative  
Court is not subject to appeal. (495/2005)  
 
[section 33 has been amended as of 1 January 2016 to read as follows; 907/2015]  
[Section 33 — Appeal  
(1) If the person liable for a charge considers that an error has been made in the  
imposition of a charge in accordance with the Act on Criteria for Charges Payable  to 
the State (150/1992) on the basis of section 34 of the present Act, he or she may  
request rectification of the charge in the manner provided in the Administrative Procedure  
Act (434/2003). Rectification shall be requested within six months of the  
impos ition of the charge.  
(2) Other decisions and a decision given on the basis of a request for rectification  
are subject to appeal to the Administrative Court as provided in the Act on Administrative  Judicial Procedure (586/1996).  
(3) A decision of the Admini strative Court in a matter referred to in subsection 1 is  
not subject to appeal. Other decisions of the Administrative Court are subject to appeal  
only with leave of appeal from the Supreme Administrative Court.  
(2) The provisions of the Act on the Publici ty of Court Proceedings in General Courts  
and the Act on the Publicity of Proceedings in Administrative Courts apply to appeal  
in a matter that concerns the publicity of court proceedings.]  
 
Section 34 — Charges (495/2005)  
(1) No charge is levied for the p rovision of access to a document on the basis of  
sections 9 and 11, when:  
(1) information regarding the document is provided orally;  
(2) the document is provided for reading and copying at the office of the  
authority;  
(3) a public, electronically recorded document is sent by electronic mail  
to the person requesting information;  
(4) an electronically recorded document is sent to a party by electronic  
mail;  
(5) provision of access to the requested document belongs within the  
ambit of the obligation of the aut hority to provide advice, to hear persons  
or to give notices.  
(2) However, in the cases referred to above in subsection 1, paragraphs 1 –4 a 
charge is levied that corresponds to the costs of obtaining the information when  
access is requested to a document w hich cannot be specified and found in the  
manner referred to in section 13, subsection 1 from document registers of the authority  
maintained in accordance with this Act using the document classification  
to be used in such registers, the identifying code of  the document nor from computerized  
registers using their search functions.  
(3) A charge is levied for the provision of access on the basis of sections 9 and 11  
in the form of a copy or print -out, with said charge corresponding to the amount  
of costs incur red by the authority in providing access, unless a lower charge is  
provided in law or a lower charge is decided on the basis of the Municipal Act  
(365/1995). The charge is levied and collected as decided on the basis of the Municipal  
Act or as provided for  the charges referred to in section 7, subsection 2 of  
the Act on Criteria for Charges Payable to the State.  
A copy of a document and the provision of access to information in the form of a  
printout or by means of a technical interface, otherwise electroni cally or in a  
comparable manner, as well as the retrieval and delivery service provided by an  
authority, may be subject to a charge, as specifically provided elsewhere. Other  
access provided by virtue of this Act shall be free of charge.  
(4) In the levying  of a charge for a copy or print -out in the cases referred to in  
subsection 3, an average charge per page or other average charge per unit may be  
levied which can be defined separately for ordinary requests for access to a document,  
and for requests for access to a document that require special measures.  
Ordinary requests for access to a document are deemed to be requests for access  
to a document other than one referred to in subsection 2, that is fully public or  
from which the secret parts can be deleted  without difficulty. In the case of ordinary  
requests for access to a document, the costs of retrieval of the document  
and of the deletion of the secret parts of the document are not to be assessed as  costs in calculating the basis for the charge to be lev ied as referred to in sections  
1 and 10 of the Act on Criteria for Charges Payable to the State.  
(5) The authorities referred to above in section 4 shall determine in advance the  
charges to be levied in the situations referred to in subsection 3 for the pr ovision  
of a copy and print -out and publish these in public data networks, unless publication  
is to be deemed obviously unnecessary.  
(6) A charge is levied for the provision of access to a document on the basis of this  
Act in cases other than those referre d to in sections 9 and 11, in accordance with  
what is provided in the Act on Criteria for Charges Payable to the State or other  
legislation or with what is decided on the basis of the Municipalities Act. Those  
authorities referred to in section 4 which are  not subject to the Municipalities Act  
or the Act on Criteria for Charges Payable to the State may, when levying charges,  
apply the grounds for charges provided in the Act on Criteria for Charges Payable  
to the State, unless provided otherwise in law.  
 
Section 35 — Penal provisions  
(1) A breach of the document secrecy provision in section 22 or the provision on  
nondisclosure and prohibition of use in section 23 is punishable in accordance  
with Chapter 40, section 5 of the Criminal Code, unless the act is punishable under  
Chapter 38, section 1 or 2 of the Criminal Code or unless a more severe penalty  
has been provided in another Act.  
(2) Also a violation of the commitment referred to in section 27 and the order referred  
to in section 28, subsection 2 is deemed a breach of the secrecy provision  
referred to in subsection 1.  
 
Section 36 — Power to issue Decrees (495/2005)  
Provisions may be issued by a Government Decree on the following for the implementation  
of the obligations provided in Chapter 5 within th e administration of  
government:  
(1) the obligation of an authority to clarify and assess information materials  
in its possession and the procedures for processing such materials  
in accordance with good information management;  
(2) information to be entered into diaries of entries and other document  
registers as well as into information system reports;  
(3) the classification of information materials in order to implement the  
appropriate security classification measures;  
(4) the obligation to stamp documents w ith the security classification  
where their unjustified disclosure could harm national defence, the  
security of the State, international relations or other public interests  
in the manner referred to in section 24, subsection 1, paragraphs 2  
and 7 -10; 
(5) the security classification requirements for different security grades,  
including the requirements for the security of facilities and the application  
of the requirements on security classification to secret documents  
and the information contained in them, a s well as to documents  
and the information contained in them where access to such  
documents is otherwise restricted on the basis of law or the information  
contained in which may, according to law, be used only for a  
specific purpose;  (6) the fulfilment of the openness of activities through the planning and  
arrangement of communications.  
(635/2011)  
Provisions on information to be contained in the diary of entries and other document  
registers maintained by the court and the prosecutor may be issued by a  
Decree of the Ministry of Justice.  
 
Section 37 — Entry into force  
(1) This Act enters into force on 1 December 1999.  
(2) However, the provisions in section 14, subsection 4 of this Act on the time limits  
for granting access to documents apply only as from 1 January 2003. Until  
that time, matters referred to in section 14 shall be dealt with without delay and  
access to a document in the public domain granted as soon as possible, with the  
time limits of two weeks and one month in section 14, subsection 4 bein g replaced  
by one month and two months, respectively.  
(3) This Act repeals the Act on the Publicity of Official Documents (83/1951), as  
amended. However, as long as the Parliament Act (7/1928) remains in force, the  
repealed Act continues to apply to parlia mentary documents, as provided in section  
28 of the repealed Act. Separate provisions shall be enacted on the repeal of  
secrecy provisions contained in other Acts.  
(4) The secrecy orders based on the Act on the Publicity of Official Documents  
shall remain in force.  
(5) Information compiled with the consent of the person concerned before the entry  
into force of this Act may be used and access to it may be granted regardless  
of the provisions in section 28, if it is obvious that such use and access are not  
essentially different from the purposes for which the information was given.  
 
Section 38 — Transitional provision (636/2000)  
The indexes and specifications referred to in section 18, subsection 1, paragraphs  
1 and 2 shall be drawn up within one year of the  entry into force of this Act. Information  
management systems taken into use before the entry into force of this  
Act shall be protected and the arrangements required in this Act for the safeguarding  
of the protection, integrity and quality of the informati on shall be in  
place within five years of the entry into force of the Act.