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Description

Statistics Finland publishes statistics on enforcement matters pending and concluded in the enforcement districts of the Ministry of Justice, and on debtors in these matters. Enforcement matters refer to enforcement proceedings pending and concluded in the enforcement districts during the calendar year. Enforcement matters are classified into open or closed according to whether they are still pending after the end of the calendar year or not. The applicant for enforcement can be a natural or legal person. The debtor in enforcement can also be either a natural or legal person. The basic data for the statistics derive from the data warehouse (dwUljas) of the Enforcement Information System of the Ministry of Justice. Statistics Finland receives the basic data from the ICT Service Centre of the Department of Judicial Administration. In order to describe the positions of debtors in enforcement matters as well as possible, data on several socio-economic variables on them are linked with the basic data. Such variables include age, gender, family type, education and occupation. Enforcement is most often a matter of collecting judgement debts. It is generally preceded by court proceedings. In the proceedings, the validity of the creditor’s claim is investigated and a payment liability ordered on the debtor. If the judgement is not heeded voluntarily it is carried out compulsorily by way of enforcement. A creditor can request measures from the enforcement authority once the receivable has been established by a court decision imposing a payment liability. Once a receivable enters enforcement proceedings, the enforcement authority usually sends a notification to the debtor indicating that the matter is pending. Some receivables, such as taxes and certain insurance premiums, can be enforced even in the absence of a judgement. Criminal sanctions of a monetary nature, such as fines and summary penal fees, are also collected by way of enforcement if necessary. No court decision is needed for the collection of child support payments, if the child support has been settled by a written agreement which has been confirmed by a child welfare officer. Collection of overdue instalments is based on a sale-by-instalment protocol drawn up by the enforcement officer.

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