Even in court practice the fundamental rights provisions are more and more applied. In the case law of my own court, the Supreme Administrative Court, there are several examples of cases where the Court has repealed decisions of public authorities by referring to provisions of the Constitution. Fundamental rights play an important role in the implementation of obligations under international human rights conventions in practice. The Constitution is like a bridge between the national legal system and the international human rights system. In the past few years the Finnish legal system has become more open along with the European integration.
International conventions are of great importance in the Finnish legal system.
The conventions are incorporated into national legislation by an Act or Decree in blanco, whereby they constitute an integral part of the legal order. This is the case also as regards the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which by Act of Parliament became a part of the legislation in 1976. This means that the Covenant is directly applicable before courts and other authorities and that individuals can directly invoke provisions of the Covenant. Since human rights are universal and indivisible, there might be an international interest in examining how the obligations under human rights conventions have been taken into account in national constitutions. In Finland a Government Bill has been introduced for a new Constitution Act which would include the provisions on fundamental rights as amended earlier.