Making a Request for Information and Documents

Do you need a Supreme Administrative Court document or information on the progress of a matter? On this page, we will explain how you can make a request for information or documents, what information should be included in the request, and how your request will be processed.

Publicity and disclosure of information

Documents drawn up and held by public authorities are public unless they have been decreed secret by law. Provisions on public access to documents are laid down in the Act on the Openness of Government Activities. Everyone has the right to be informed of any public authority document, whether or not they are a party to the matter.

The publicity of the Supreme Administrative Court’s procedural documents is also governed by the Act on the Publicity of Administrative Court Proceedings.

How to make a request for information or documents

1. In the request, specify which information or document the request concerns. For example, you can specify:
   • The authority or court that made the decision
   • The Supreme Administrative Court’s record number or lower court’s decision number
   • The date of the decision
   • Other identifying information
2. Enclose your contact information with the request so that we can ask for more detailed information if necessary and deliver the documents.

If the information or document is public, there is usually no need to justify the request. The purpose of the information will be asked if the document is secret or information can only be disclosed from it under certain conditions. You can also be asked to state what the information will be used for if the document contains personal data.

Send your request to the Supreme Administrative Court Registry Office.

Decisions from 1976 forward and judicial documents from 1973 forward can be found in the archives of the Supreme Administrative Court. Decisions and documents predating those years are kept in the National Archives of Finland.

Processing of requests for information and delivery of documents

We will respond to requests for information as quickly as possible, and no later than two weeks from the submission of the request for information.

If the processing and resolution of the matter requires special measures or more work than usual, information from a public document is provided or the matter is resolved in one month from the submission of the request for information at the latest.

The Supreme Administrative Court will disclose the requested information either electronically or in paper form or provide access to the information on the premises of the Supreme Administrative Court.

Information that cannot be disclosed electronically or in paper form can be accessed on the premises of the Supreme Administrative Court. The Supreme Administrative Court Registry provides access to documents from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You should book the appointment at the Registry in good time to allow for the retrieval of the material.

Possible fees

Regardless of the format of disclosure, a fee may be charged for a printout or copy of the requested document. For more information on the basis for fees charged for the disclosure of information, see the Decree of the Ministry of Justice on fees charged for the performances of courts and certain judicial administration authorities in 2025–2027.

Restrictions on disclosure of information

If the document contains personal data, you may be asked to provide an account of how you will ensure the protection of the personal data. The format in which you request the information may also affect the additional information needed to process the request. If the material to be disclosed contains secret information, the secret parts will be either pseudonymised or redacted. If the content of the documents cannot be understood correctly after the information has been redacted, delivery of the document may be refused.

Access to a secret document or dataset requires permission from the relevant authority. An authority may, on a case-by-case basis, grant permission for access to secret information for purposes such as scientific research, the compilation of statistics or official planning and investigation work, if it is evident that the disclosure of the information will not jeopardise the interests due to which the secrecy was decreed.

When applying for permission to access secret information, you must indicate the purpose for which the information will be used. The applicant must also ensure that the information is adequately protected against unauthorised access, disclosure and other unlawful processing. The permission cannot be granted if there are reasonable grounds to suspect that the applicant is unable to adequately protect the data.

A party also has the right to be informed of a document that is not public if the information may have influenced the processing of their case by an authority. A party is anyone who has a right, interest or obligation affected by the matter. The purpose of publicity to parties is to safeguard their legal protection in situations where an authority is considering or has considered a matter concerning their right, interest or obligation.

Request for review

If we are unable to grant a request for information or documents, we will issue an appealable decision of it upon request.