Partanen faces criticism from bar association for ethical breaches prior to parliamentary election

Karoliina Partanen, a member of the Finnish Parliament from the National Coalition Party, has received significant criticism from the Disciplinary Board of the Bar Association, as reported by Helsingin Sanomat. The criticism pertains to her conduct as a lawyer prior to her election as a Member of Parliament in April 2023. Partanen resigned from the Bar Association two weeks after her election, as the law prohibits Members of Parliament from practicing law.

The board addressed a complaint made by Partanen’s client six months before the parliamentary elections. According to the board, she violated several ethical standards expected of attorneys. The most serious reprimand was for failing to respond to a request for clarification sent by the board. Additionally, she breached professional conduct in four other ways, including not providing her client with information about fees and an estimate of the total costs for handling the case, despite the client’s requests for such details.

In an interview with Helsingin Sanomat, Partanen stated she is satisfied with the board’s decision and has no plans to appeal to a higher court. She explained her lack of response to the board’s inquiry by indicating that she was aware she would be elected to Parliament and that, according to practice, ignoring such inquiries typically results in dismissal from the Bar Association. Regarding the other criticisms, she considers them to be standard in nature. The Disciplinary Board operates under legal authority granted to the Bar Association.