Appealing against an administrative court decision
The Supreme Administrative Court has power over all other administrative courts. It deals with appeals against decisions made by administrative courts and the government. The Supreme Administrative Court is in Helsinki.
The information given at the end of an administrative court decision tells you if you may appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court. You may first have to apply for a leave to appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court. You will find instructions for doing so in the administrative court decision.
If you no longer can appeal, the administrative court decision will tell you so.
You should make your appeal within 30 days after you have been informed of the administrative court decision. This day is the seventh day after the decision was sent to you by post, or the third day after it was sent to you electronically. You must always make an appeal in writing. You can use your own words.
You should say
- which administrative court decision you are appealing against
- what parts of the decision you wish to appeal and what kind of change you demand
- what the grounds for your claim are.
Include your name, mailing address, home municipality, telephone number and e-mail address, if you have one. If you make your appeal on paper, it must be signed by you or your agent. If you make your appeal electronically, you need not sign it.
You must attach to the appeal
- the administrative court decision that you are appealing against, either the original decision or a copy
- the date on which you were informed of the decision
- other documents related to your appeal.
If you are appealing on behalf of another person, you should attach to the appeal a power of attorney given by that person or other explanation of your right to act on behalf of that person, for example an extract from the register of guardianship matters. An attorney or a public legal aid attorney does not need to show a power of attorney.
Submit the appeal in the e-services of the administrative courts and special courts. Alternatively, you can send the appeal to the registry of the Supreme Administrative Court by email, mail or fax or take the documents to the registry yourself during office hours.
You must pay to the Supreme Administrative Court the court fee set by it. If you have been given public legal aid, you will not have to pay the court fee to the Supreme Administrative Court.
A Supreme Administrative Court decision is final, and you cannot appeal against it to other courts in Finland.
If you feel that your human rights have been violated as described in the European Convention on Human Rights, you can appeal to the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.