Octopus Cybercrime Community

Substantive criminal law provisions are included with one exception in the Criminal Code (39/1889). Unofficial translation is available in English:
http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset/1889/en18890039.pdf

21415872672. law provisions of the Criminal Code have been amended for the implementation of the Budapest Convention (law 540/2007) and Directive 2013/40/EU on attacks against information systems (law 578/2015).

Investigative measures used in the criminal investigation are mostly covered by the Coercive Measures Act (806/2011):
http://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset/2011/en20110806.pdf

Other laws related to the provisions of the Budapest Convention:

• The Criminal Investigation Act (805/2011)
• The Police Act (872/2011)
• The Act on International Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters (4/1994)
• The Extradition Act (456/1970)
• The Act on Extradition on the basis of an Offence between Finland and other Member States of the European Union (1286/2003)
• The Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999)

The Criminal Code criminalises the following offences:

• distribution of a sexually offensive picture, aggravated distribution of a sexually offensive picture depicting a child and possession of a sexually offensive picture depicting a child (chapter 17, sections 18, 18(a) and 19),
• forgery, aggravated forgery and petty forgery (chapter 33, sections 1 to 3),
• endangerment of data processing (chapter 34, section 9(a)),
• damage to data, aggravated damage to data and petty damage to data (chapter 35, sections 3(a) to 3(c)),
• fraud, aggravated fraud and petty fraud (chapter 36, sections 1 to 3),
• means of payment fraud, aggravated means of payment fraud and petty means of payment fraud (chapter 37, sections 8 to 10)
• message interception and aggravated message interception (chapter 38, sections 3 and 4),
• interference with communications, aggravated interference with communications and
• petty interference with communications (chapter 38, sections 5 to 7),
• interference in an information system and aggravated interference in an information system (chapter 38, sections 7(a) and 7(b)),
• computer break-in and aggravated computer break-in (chapter 38, sections 8 and 8(a)),
• offence involving a system for accessing protected services (chapter 38, section 8(b)),
• copyright offence (chapter 49, section 1).

Relevant is also copyright violation (section 56(a) of the Copyright Act).

The Coercive Measures Act includes among others the following investigative measures and methods applicable also to the investigation of cybercrime offences:

• seizure and copying of a document (chapter 7, sections 1 and 2),
• search of data contained in a device (chapter 8, section 21),
• data retention order (chapter 8, section 24),
• telecommunications interception (chapter 10, section 3),
• obtaining of information other than through telecommunications interception (chapter 10, section 4),
• traffic data monitoring (chapter 10, section 6),
• traffic data monitoring with the consent of the possessor of a network address or terminal end device (chapter 10, section 7),
• technical surveillance of a device (chapter 10, section 23).

Some relevant provisions are in the Criminal Investigation Act (chapter 7, sections 8 and 9) regarding the obligation to provide evidence and questioning in court and in the Police Act (chapter 4, section 3) regarding obtaining information from a private organisation or person

1000. deeply interfering with human rights and fundamental freedoms are usually allowed only in investigations of serious offences and a district court decides on the use of these measures. If the measure has been ordered by the police official or the prosecutor on the request of the person concerned in the matter the court shall decide whether the measure is to remain in force. If the measure has been ordered by the court on the request of the person concerned in the matter the court shall reconsider whether the measure is to remain in force. All coercive measure court decisions are covered either by the possibility to make an (ordinary) appeal or by the possibility to make an extraordinary appeal (no time limit and an urgent hearing). When a person subjected to a covert coercive measure is afterwards reported the use of measure he or she may make an extraordinary appeal.

673459814. principles have to be taken into account in the decision making concerning the use of all coercive measures. According to principle of proportionality manifested in Chapter 1, section 2 of the Coercive Measures Act coercive measures may be used only when they may be deemed justifiable with consideration to the seriousness of the offence under investigation, the importance of clarifying the offence, the degree to which the use of the coercive measures infringes on the rights of the suspect in the offence or others, and the other circumstances in the case. According to Chapter 1, Section 3(1) of the Coercive Measures Act (principle of minimum intervention) the use of a coercive measure may not infringe on the rights of anyone beyond what is necessary in order to achieve the purpose for which it is used.

Constitution of Finland

Information Society Code (917/2014)

Act on the Processing of Personal Data by the Police (761/2003)

Personal Data Act (523/1999)

Mutual legal assistance is regulated in the Act on International Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. According to section 1(2) of the act international assistance include

1. service of decisions, summonses, notices and other judicial documents relating to a criminal matter, including summonses to appear before an authority of the requesting State;
2. hearing of witnesses, experts and parties, obtaining of expert opinions, inspections, procuring and transmitting documents and objects to be produced as as evidence, as well as the taking of any other evidence relating to a criminal matter;
3. search, seizure and the use of other coercive measures in order to obtain evidence or to secure the enforcement of a confiscation order;
4. institution of criminal proceedings;
5. communication of extracts from and information relating to judicial records required in a criminal matter; and
6. any other necessary assistance in a criminal matter, provision of information on law as well as any other forms of mutual co-operation.

13031. Act on International Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters includes provisions among other things on compliance with a particular procedure specified in the request (section 11), mandatory grounds of refusal (section 12), discretionary grounds of refusal (section 13), restrictions on coercive measures (section 15), use of coercive measures to obtain evidence or to secure the enforcement of a confiscation order (section 23) and secrecy, confidentiality and restrictions on the use of information (section 27).

Finland is in the process to implement the EIO Directive which amends the system of mutual legal assistance between EU Member States.

Competent authorities and channels

For the MLA requests to Finland from other EU member states the National Bureau of Investigation is the central contact point. MLA requests to Finland from countries outside the EU shall be sent to the Ministry of Justice as the central authority (Unit for International Judicial Administration). Urgent requests via Interpol channels are accepted in accordance with Article 15 of the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters.

The leader of the investigation sends requests for MLA when the content of the request has been agreed on with the prosecutor. The LEA and prosecutors have an obligation to act in a close cooperation and the LEA has to comply with orders and instructions by the prosecutor as provided for in Chapter 5 of the Preliminary Investigation Act.

MLA request from Finland to other EU member states are sent directly. The National Bureau of Investigation is the national central contact point for the investigation authorities. The requests are checked by NBI International Affairs unit before they are translated and sent to the concerned country.

For MLA request from Finland to countries outside EU, the Ministry of Justice is the central authority. Urgent requests can be sent also via Interpol channels in accordance with the European Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters, Article 15, point 5, if accepted by the addressee.

The prosecution authorities use as a rule direct contacts with judicial authorities in other EU member states. EJN and Eurojust are contacted in need of assistance.

533990135881. with Article 35 of the Budapest Convention the National Bureau of Investigation is a 24/7 contact point covering also the extradition matters within the framework of European Arrest Warrant and Nordic Arrest Warrant. Ministry of Justice is a contact point during working hours for other extradition requests.

Specific procedures and best practices for International Cooperation