Page 166 - 《客語及少數族群語言政策》附錄_少數語言法律

NB: Unofficial translation

© Ministry of Justice, Finland

Sámi Language Act

(1086/ 2003)

Chapter 1 — General provisions

Section 1 — Purpose of the Act

The purpose of this Act is to ensure, for its part, the constitutional right of the Sámi to maintain
and develop their own language and culture.

This Act contains provisions on the right of the Sámi to use their own language before the courts and
other public authorities, as well as on the duty of the authorities to enforce and promote the linguistic
rights of the Sámi.

The goal is to ensure the right of th Sámi to a fair trial and good administration irrespective of
language and to secure the linguistic rights of the Sámi without them needing specifically to refer to these
rights.

Section 2 — Scope of application
The following public authorities shall be subject to the provisions of this Act:
(1) the municipal organs of Enontekiö, Inari, Sodankylä,
and Utsjoki, as well as the joint municipal authorities where one or more of the said
municipalities are members;

(2) the courts and State regional and district authorities whose jurisdiction covers
the said municipalities in full or in part;
(3) the provincial government of Lapland and the organs attached to it;
(4) the Sámi Parliament, the Advisory Board for Sámi Affairs and a village meeting
referred to in section 42 of the Skolt Act (253/ 1995); the Chancellor of Justice of the
Government and the Parliamentary Ombudsman;
(5) the Consumer Ombudsman and the Consumer Complaints Board, the
Ombudsman for Equality and the Council for Equality, the Data Protection
Ombudsman and the Data Protection Board, and the Ombudsman for
Minorities;
(6) the Social Insurance Institution and Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution; and
(7) the State administrative authorities that hear appeals against decisions of
administrative authorities referred to above.

This Act applies also to administrative procedure under the Reindeer Husbandry Act (848/ 1990) and the

166