Finland's Chancellor of Justice has issued a ruling about Justice Minister Leena Meri's public statements on conversion therapy. The decision addresses complaints about her comments regarding a citizen's initiative to ban the practice.
Parliament approved the citizen's initiative in March 2025. It called for banning conversion therapy, which refers to unscientific attempts to change sexual orientation.
Despite parliamentary approval, Minister Meri stated her ministry could not prepare legislation. She cited insufficient resources and lack of government consensus.
Christian Democrat MP Päivi Räsänen previously declared her party would block such legislation in any government they joined.
The Chancellor found Meri did not act illegally. However, he determined her media statements were careless enough to misrepresent the citizen initiative's purpose and Parliament's role as the supreme state body.
Meri provided the Chancellor with clarification. She explained her interview comments did not mean her ministry would ignore Parliament's decision.
The minister noted this was a procedural initiative without concrete legislative proposals. Both the justice and social affairs ministries must conduct extensive preparatory work.
Legislation will proceed when resources become available, according to Meri's statement.
The ruling highlights the tension between parliamentary decisions and government implementation. It shows how resource constraints can delay even widely supported legislative initiatives.
Conversion therapy remains legal in Finland despite parliamentary approval of the ban. The government's slow response suggests political divisions may be influencing implementation more than acknowledged publicly.