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Open Ministry Crowdsources Laws In Finland

Posted by samzenpus on from the power-of-the-group dept.

First time accepted submitter emakinen writes "The new Citizens' Initiative service started today in Finland. On the Open Ministry website, anyone can present an idea for a law or initiative. If the idea wins enough support, the ministry's volunteer workers will work on it and turn it into a presentable bill for the MPs to chew over. If 50,000 citizens of voting age agree on a bill Parliament has to take it up."

4 of 181 comments (clear)

  1. Copyright and patent laws reform, here I come by Gaygirlie · · Score: 5, Interesting

    This thing could very likely be used for the purposes of doing a complete patent and copyright system reform in small steps. I personally do not seek to completely abolish either, but I wish to bring both of them down to a maximum of 10 years so that people who patent stuff will actually have to also start utilizing their patents and not just hoard them, and copyrights won't keep on benefiting the creator for several lifetimes without them having to do any work ever again.

    Do we have any Finns around here on /. that agree? I'm just curious.

  2. This has been around for a while by hammeraxe · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Something similar has been running in Latvia for a while now. People can sign online petitions that are submitted to the parliament if they get enough signatures. The identity verification is done by logging in with your bank details (as there is no official electronic ID as of now). Some of the successful initiatives include tighter tax control for shady offshore companies and stricter control of whether MPs actually obey their vows.

  3. Re:The only drawback by gl4ss · · Score: 3, Interesting

    there's a long tradition of internet "addresses" (petitions) for bitching about things in Finland.

    on an interesting note, there's this one minister for whom there's this one petition with over 50k signatures.. to fire her. http://www.adressit.com/adressi_paivi_rasasen_erottamiseksi_ministerinvirasta

    --
    world was created 5 seconds before this post as it is.
  4. Re:All land between the lines on roads world wide by Luckyo · · Score: 4, Interesting

    In Finland, the most right wing party advertises itself as a "champion of welfare state". They're not really, but even they have to pay at least lip service.

    We understand what we pay our taxes for. We have one of the most politically stable, safe, competitive and equal countries in the world. US-style unequal society is viewed with derision at best.