Tutorial: Finlex (Finnish Legislation)

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Data source: Finlex (opendata.finlex.fi)

Overview

Finlex (Finnish Legislation) wraps Finlex (opendata.finlex.fi), handling authentication, pagination, and rate limits for you. This tutorial covers all 7 tools with working code examples you can copy and run.

Prerequisites

Sign up at https://context.gnist.ai/signup for a free API key (100 calls/day).
Choose your integration method: MCP protocol or REST API.

Connect via MCP

Add to your MCP client config (Claude Desktop, Cursor, etc.):

MCP Config

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "gnist-finlex": {
      "url": "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/",
      "headers": {
        "Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

Tools (7)

`list_statutes`

List Finnish statutes from the Statute Book of Finland (Suomen Saadoskokoelma). Browse recently published statutes or filter by year. Each statute is identified by year and number (e.g. 2026/1). Use get_statute to retrieve full text. Returns: Dict with 'count', 'page', and 'statutes' list.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`year`	any	optional	Filter by year (e.g. 2025)
`language`	string	optional	Language: 'fin' (Finnish, default), 'swe' (Swedish) (default: `fin`)
`page`	integer	optional	Page number (default 1) (default: `1`)
`limit`	integer	optional	Results per page (default 20, max 50) (default: `20`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "list_statutes", "arguments": {"year": "2025"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'year': '2025'}, 'name': 'list_statutes'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`get_statute`

Retrieve a specific Finnish statute with full text and article structure. Returns the statute's metadata (title, dates, ELI identifier) and its articles with section numbers, headings, and content parsed from Akoma Ntoso XML. Returns: Statute detail dict, or error if not found.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`year`	integer	required	Year of the statute (e.g. 2025)
`number`	string	required	Statute number within the year (e.g. '1', '118')
`language`	string	optional	Language: 'fin' (Finnish, default), 'swe' (Swedish) (default: `fin`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "get_statute", "arguments": {"year": 2025, "number": "'1'"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'number': "'1'", 'year': 2025},
            'name': 'get_statute'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`list_government_proposals`

List Finnish government proposals (hallituksen esitykset / HE). Government proposals are bills submitted by the Finnish government to Parliament. They contain the reasoning and draft legislation for proposed changes. Returns: Dict with 'count', 'page', and 'proposals' list.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`year`	any	optional	Filter by year (e.g. 2025)
`language`	string	optional	Language: 'fin' (Finnish, default), 'swe' (Swedish) (default: `fin`)
`page`	integer	optional	Page number (default 1) (default: `1`)
`limit`	integer	optional	Results per page (default 20, max 50) (default: `20`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "list_government_proposals", "arguments": {"year": "2025"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'year': '2025'}, 'name': 'list_government_proposals'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`get_government_proposal`

Retrieve a specific Finnish government proposal with metadata and content preview. Returns the proposal's metadata (title, dates, ELI identifier) and a preview of the content (first 10 paragraphs). Returns: Proposal detail dict, or error if not found.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`year`	integer	required	Year of the proposal (e.g. 2025)
`number`	string	required	Proposal number within the year (e.g. '8')
`language`	string	optional	Language: 'fin' (Finnish, default), 'swe' (Swedish) (default: `fin`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "get_government_proposal", "arguments": {"year": 2025, "number": "'8'"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'number': "'8'", 'year': 2025},
            'name': 'get_government_proposal'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`list_consolidated_statutes`

List consolidated (updated/amended) Finnish statutes. Consolidated statutes reflect the current version of the law with all amendments applied. Use this instead of list_statutes when you need the up-to-date text. Returns: Dict with 'count', 'page', and 'statutes' list.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`year`	any	optional	Filter by year (e.g. 2025)
`language`	string	optional	Language: 'fin' (Finnish, default), 'swe' (Swedish) (default: `fin`)
`page`	integer	optional	Page number (default 1) (default: `1`)
`limit`	integer	optional	Results per page (default 20, max 50) (default: `20`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "list_consolidated_statutes", "arguments": {"year": "2025"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'year': '2025'},
            'name': 'list_consolidated_statutes'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`get_consolidated_statute`

Retrieve a specific consolidated Finnish statute with full amended text. Returns the current version of the statute with all amendments applied, including metadata and article structure. Returns: Statute detail dict, or error if not found.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`year`	integer	required	Year of the statute (e.g. 2024)
`number`	string	required	Statute number within the year (e.g. '2')
`language`	string	optional	Language: 'fin' (Finnish, default), 'swe' (Swedish) (default: `fin`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "get_consolidated_statute", "arguments": {"year": 2024, "number": "'2'"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'number': "'2'", 'year': 2024},
            'name': 'get_consolidated_statute'}},
)
print(resp.json())

`report_feedback`

Report a bug, feature request, or general feedback for this data source. Use this when something doesn't work as expected, when you'd like a new feature, or when you have suggestions for improvement. Args: feedback: Describe the issue or suggestion. feedback_type: One of 'bug', 'feature_request', or 'general'.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`feedback`	string	required
`feedback_type`	string	optional	(default: `general`)

curl -X POST "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Gnist-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -d '{"jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "tools/call", "id": 1, "params": {"name": "report_feedback", "arguments": {"feedback": "example"}}}'

import httpx

resp = httpx.post(
    "https://context.gnist.ai/mcp/finlex/",
    headers={"Gnist-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
    json={'id': 1,
 'jsonrpc': '2.0',
 'method': 'tools/call',
 'params': {'arguments': {'feedback': 'example'}, 'name': 'report_feedback'}},
)
print(resp.json())

Common Patterns

Search then retrieve
Use list_statutes to find items, then get_statute to get full details. This two-step pattern is common for exploring data before drilling down.

Pagination
Several tools support limit, offset, or page parameters. Start with small limits during development, then increase for production queries.

FAQ

What data does Finlex (Finnish Legislation) provide?

Finnish legislation — statutes, consolidated laws, and government proposals from Finlex open data. It exposes 7 tools: list_statutes, get_statute, list_government_proposals, get_government_proposal, list_consolidated_statutes, get_consolidated_statute, report_feedback.

What do I need to get started?

A Gnist API key (free tier: 100 calls/day). Sign up at https://context.gnist.ai/signup.

What format does the Finlex (Finnish Legislation) API return?

JSON, via either MCP protocol (JSON-RPC 2.0) or REST API.

Next Steps

Interactive Playground

Try tools in your browser — no setup required.

Full Reference

Complete docs for all 7 tools.

Getting Started with Finlex (Finnish Legislation)