[1] It defines the basis, structures and organisation of government, the relationship between the different constitutional organs, and lays out the fundamental rights of Finnish citizens, and individuals in general.

Before the enshrinement, the Finnish constitutional provisions were divided between four separate statutes, which all had a constitutional status; the Constitution Act of 1919, also known in English as the Instrument of Government, (Finnish: Suomen hallitusmuoto; Swedish: Regeringsformen för Finland), the Parliament Act of 1928 (Finnish: valtiopäiväjärjestys; Swedish: riksdagsordningen), the Ministerial Responsibility Act of 1922 (Finnish: laki eduskunnan oikeudesta tarkastaa valtioneuvoston jäsenten ja oikeuskanslerin sekä eduskunnan oikeusasiamiehen virkatointen lainmukaisuutta, short title ministerivastuulaki; Swedish: Lag om rätt för riksdagen att granska lagenligheten av statsrådsmedlemmarnas och justitiekanslerns samt riksdagens justitieombudsmans ämbetsåtgärder) and the Act on the High Court of Impeachment of 1922 (Finnish: laki valtakunnanoikeudesta; Swedish: Lag om riksrätten).

The first major constitutional reform came in 1983, with the re-writing of many important provisions governing parliamentary procedure, mostly in the Parliament Act.

The indirect form of electing the President of the Republic via an Electoral College was replaced by a system which combined the Electoral College with direct election, and the provisions governing the postponement of ordinary legislation were amended by shortening the period for which a bill could be postponed.

The extensive reform of Basic Rights in Chapter II of the Constitution Act came into force in August 1995, and the remaining powers of a one third minority to postpone ordinary legislation to the next Parliament were abolished, marking the final transition to majority parliamentarism in respect to ordinary legislation.

On 12 February, Parliament gave its approval for the Committee's proposal for the new Constitution to be left in abeyance until after the parliamentary elections.

The new Parliament elected in March 1999 approved the new Constitution in June that year and it was ratified by the President of the Republic.

[citation needed] The Constitution has since been amended a number of times, notably in 2011 to allow bills to be introduced in Parliament by popular petition and in 2017 to expand the access of police and intelligence services to private communications.

[citation needed] The official text of the constitution consists of 131 Sections, divided into 13 Chapters, as follows: The opening chapter on fundamental provisions continues the affirmation of Finland's status as a sovereign Republic, the inviolability of human dignity and the rights of the individual, and the sovereignty of the Finnish people.

The international human rights obligations of Finland are set as the highest legal norm of the law, even above the constitution.

In relation to the formation of the Government, the provisions of the new Constitution transfer the appointment of the Prime Minister from the President to Parliament.

Provisions on the right to exemption, on grounds of conscience, from participation in military national defence are laid down by an Act.

The old constitutional acts also directed the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court to request, if needed, the explication or amendment of an Act or a Decree, but this provision has been repealed and the responsibility for maintaining the constitutionality of the laws now rests completely with the Parliament.