What is plea bargaining?

In plea bargaining, the suspect confesses to the offence, and in return the prosecutor undertakes to request the punishment from a reduced scale. First, the prosecutor and the suspect negotiate. The court then deals with the case in a confession hearing, which is a lighter procedure than a normal trial.

The aim is that when some cases are dealt with through a lighter procedure compared to normal criminal proceedings, the authorities can allocate their resources more appropriately. They can work more efficiently and speed up the pre-trial investigation, the consideration of charges and the court proceedings.

When can plea bargaining be used?

Plea bargaining is not possible for all offences. It can mainly be used for offences for which the maximum penalty is six years’ imprisonment, as well as for aggravated trafficking in human beings, aggravated robbery and aggravated narcotics offences. In addition, the other conditions for using the procedure (such as savings in the proceedings) must be met and an important public or private interest should not require a preliminary investigation to be conducted.

Certain offences are excluded from the procedure, such as most sexual offences and offences against life and health.

If you are the injured party, i.e. the victim of the crime, plea bargaining normally requires your consent.

Contact a legal counsel

If plea bargaining is being considered in your criminal case, it is recommended to contact a legal counsel. Your counsel will assess the situation as a whole, including compensation issues and what the State Treasury may compensate. Read more about covering the costs of a legal counsel.

You can find more information on how to get a legal counsel on the National Legal Services Authority website.

You can also ask Victim Support Finland (RIKU) for advice on getting a legal counsel:

Leave a Contact Request
Victim Support Finland helpline 116 006 (Finnish and Swedish)
RIKUchat (Finnish)

National Prosecution Authority: Being a party to a criminal process