The Framework of Criminal Law

Legislation on Bias-motivated Violence

Bias-motivated Violent Crimes as Specific Offenses	Bias as an Express General Aggravating Factor	Bias as an Aggravating Factor in Specific Common Crimes
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Bias Types Covered by Provisions on Aggravating Circumstances

Race/National Origin/Ethnicity	Religion	Sexual Orientation	Gender	Disability	Other
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Bias as an Express General Aggravating Factor

The Criminal Code of Finland contains provisions, which entered into force on January 1, 2004, that expressly enable the racist or other bias motives of the offender to be taken into account by the courts as an aggravating circumstance when sentencing.

Chapter 6, Section 5 (Grounds Increasing the Punishment) lists the grounds for which punishments can be increased. Among the grounds are that “the offense has been directed at a person belonging to a national, racial, ethnic or other population group due to his/her membership in such a group.”[1]

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[1] The Penal Code of Finland, http://www.legislationline.org/topics/country/32/topic/4.