Police publish guidance, handbook on fines

The National Police Board has published a book of guidance and a handbook on fines for issuing instructions on the imposition of fines.

The guidance will enter into force in September, but the handbook, which serves as guidance on the interpretation of current legislation, is already applicable, said an official press release.

The National Police Board’s Chief Superintendent Konsta Arvelin said the new handbook on fines was much needed to aid in the application of the fine procedures specified in the act on the imposition of a fine and summary penal fee (754/2010), because the handbook has been a valuable tool in imposing summary penal fees and penal orders, used on a daily basis.

“The revised handbook on fines has three sections. The first, general section of the handbook discusses the details of the procedure, while also providing an extensive description of the procedure for imposing a fine. The handbook’s second section is dedicated to the nomenclature for violations and the instructions on how it should be used. And the third section consists of appendices containing all the tables that have long been used in conjunction with the fine procedure,” said Arvelin, concluding his description of the different sections of the handbook.

According to Arvelin, the handbook highlights each police administration official’s responsibilities when exercising their judicial and decision-making powers to enforce the law.

“With the revised fine procedure, police have more judicial power to use within their jurisdiction to solve simple, straightforward criminal matters by imposing a summary penal fee or a fine. Alternatively, the police may use their decision-making power to process the criminal matter by serving a request for a fine, which will be referred to the prosecutor,” Arvelin explained.

Arvelin stresses the importance of ensuring quality and using the fine procedure carefully, responsibly and, above all, in a uniform manner, regardless of the nature of the offence.

“In the fine procedure, police take the role of a judge, making decisions in criminal matters, so the use of judicial power must be harmonised throughout the country. Such harmonised use of the fine procedure is also a sign of the legislators’ trust in the police. We aim to be worthy of this trust also in the future,” said Arvelin.