Authorities investigate prosecutor and judge for misconduct in Oulu District Court

Authorities are investigating a prosecutor and a judge from the Oulu District Court for alleged misconduct in office. According to the Finnish newspaper Kaleva, the judge in question is no longer employed by the judiciary. Oulu police chief commissioner Janne Koskela confirmed the investigation to Yle, stating that the suspected infraction pertains to a dispute case from a few years ago, which came to light during a preliminary investigation at the end of 2022.

Koskela noted that the investigation has just begun in recent weeks and is expected to take several months to complete. The Chancellor of Justice had previously urged the Oulu police to pay closer attention to the case as the preliminary investigation experienced delays.

Documents reviewed by Kaleva suggest that the probe alleges the judge altered evidence related to the ruling and decided the case in favor of one party involved in the dispute. Koskela pointed out that it is uncommon for judges or prosecutors to be suspected of misconduct in their official duties, labeling the situation as rare.

He also emphasized the presumption of innocence for those accused of professional misconduct, which is a fundamental principle stating that individuals should be considered innocent until proven guilty, especially in the early stages of an investigation. “At this point, it’s unclear how the investigation will ultimately conclude,” he added.