Concepts and definitions

Accused: A party for whom punishment is sought in a court of justice on the basis of a suspected offence. The accused person can also be called the defendant.
Case processing time: Case processing time refers to the time elapsed until the case has been decided. The time is counted from the day the case was filed to the day of the decision.
Civil matter: Civil matters are disputes between private persons or enterprises which are settled impartially in a court of justice. Civil matters may deal with compensation for damages, annulment of purchase or validity of contracts. District Courts also decide on undisputed demands for payment and evictions.
Leave to appeal: Permission from the court of final appeal to appeal against the decision of a lower court.

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Decisions by the Supreme Court [e-publication].
Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 14.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/koikr/kas_en.html