This Glossary of Legislative Terms and Phrases is a collection of key Finnish terms and phrases used in legislation in Finland and their recommended equivalents in English. The terms are also given in Swedish, while the phrases, are given only in Finnish and English. The Glossary supports the work of law translators and gives recommendations for the use of legislative terms and phrases in Finland.
The first version of the glossary of approximately 70 search words was completed in 2002 in a project led by the Ministry of Justice. In 2010, the Prime Minister's Office started an update of the Glossary by adding a few new entries at a time. The 2017 update introduced an extensive list of standard phrases used in legislation. In 2021, 2023 and 2025 new entries were added and some English terms edited. The Glossary currently includes about 300 terms and phrases.
The Swedish terms of the Glossary follow the recommendations given in the handbook on Swedish legal language, 'Svenskt lagspråk i Finland'.
In addition to the online version in the Finnish Government Termbank Valter, the Glossary of Legislative Terms and Phrases is available in PDF format on the Glossaries and guidance page of the Prime Minister's Office website and in the Finlex online database of Finnish legislation.