Antti Leinonen advocates for dissolution of Finland’s lay judge system

The acting chief clerk of the Ministry of Justice, Antti Leinonen, advocates for the dissolution of Finland’s current lay judge system, according to reports. Presently, the country has roughly 1,300 lay judges, who serve as non-professional judges in district courts. These judges are selected by municipal councils. The program initiated by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government calls for exploring alternatives to the existing appointment process, specifically one that would separate the selection from political party influences.

Leinonen contends that the only practical solution would be to transfer the selection process to the Judiciary Agency. However, he warns that this could prove to be quite costly for the agency.