Land court cases

The land courts deal with disputes and appeals arising from surveying operations. The most common case types are the divisions, parcellings and encumbrances referred to in the Surveying Act, as well as the procedures under the Expropriation Act and the Private Roads Act. The procedure is very similar to the civil procedure in a district court.


Land court cases are dealt with by the District Courts of South Savo, East Uusimaa, Kanta-Häme, Lapland, Oulu, Os-trobothnia, North Savo,and Southwest Finland. The land court, which acts as a separate department of the district court, has a district judge specialising in these matters as chairperson and a land court engineer and two lay members in the main proceedings. The decisions of a land court can be appealed against to the Supreme Court.

Judicial districts 1.1.2021

  1. the judicial district of the South Savo District Court includes the Regions of South Karelia, South Savo and Ky-menlaakso, with the exception of the municipality of Pyhtää;
  2. the judicial district of the Eastern Uusimaa District Court includes the Region of Uusimaa and the municipalities of Pyhtää Salo and Somero;
  3. the judicial district of the Kanta-Häme District Court includes the Regions of Kanta-Häme, Pirkanmaa and Päijät-Häme;
  4. the judicial district of the Lapland District Court includes the Regions of Kainuu and Lapland and the municipalities of Kuusamo, Taivalkoski and Pudasjärvi;
  5. the judicial district of the Oulu District Court includes the Region of North Ostrobothnia, with the exception of the municipalities of Kuusamo, Taivalkoski and Pudasjärvi;
  6. the judicial district of the Ostrobothnia District Court includes the Regions of South Ostrobothnia, Central Ostro-bothnia and Ostrobothnia;
  7. Pohjois-Savon käräjäoikeuden tuomiopiiriin kuuluvat Keski-Suomen, Pohjois-Karjalan ja Pohjois-Savon maakunnat; the judicial district of the North Savo District Court includes the Regions of Central Finland, North Karelia and North Savo;
  8. the judicial district of the Southwest Finland District Court includes the Regions of Åland, Satakunta and Southwest Finland, with the exception of the municipialities of Salo and Somero.

Published 21.1.2021