This entry has been drafted by a member of the APILS team on the basis of publicly available materials. Its content has been neither peer reviewed nor checked for accuracy by any government official.
Legal basis
The Defense Command of Finland has issued a decree for the Finnish Defence Forces on the process of reviewing the legality of new weapons, means or methods of warfare in accordance with Article 36 of Additional Protocol I. The decree sets out the national legal review procedure.
Review authority
The Legal Department of the Defense Command carries out a legal assessment under Article 36 for new weapons and weapon systems. This occurs in broad consultation with relevant stakeholders so that, for example, the environmental, technical and health considerations are factored into the legal assessment.
Outcome and effect
The assessment of the Defence Command is not legally binding. A legally binding statement that a weapon or weapons system complies with Finland’s international obligations would be a decision to acquire the weapon or weapon system, unless otherwise stipulated by law, or by the Ministry of Defense or the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
Point of contact
Legal Division
Defence Command Finland
PO Box 919
00131 Helsinki
Finland
References
Key documents
- Defense Command of Finland Decree
(not publicly available)
Further references
- Finland, Statement, CCW GGE LAWS (25 March 2019)
- Finland, CCW National Annual Report on Compliance (31 March 2020) form C
- Damian Copeland and Rain Liivoja, Progressing the Legal Review of Autonomous Weapon Systems: Report of an Expert Meeting (Geneva, 10–11 March 2025) (Asia-Pacific Institute for Law and Security, September 2025) 4–5.
