Procedural documents can be sent directly to the addressee by post. As a rule, the documents must be translated into Finnish (or Swedish). Alternatively, documents may be sent to the competent District Court where the process server delivers the documents to the addressee in person.
Summoning witnesses to pre-trial investigation or to court. Everyone who can be assumed to be able to provide clarification of the circumstances of an offence is obliged, if summoned, to give a statement at the police station. Failure to comply with a summons without an acceptable reason may result in the person's being brought to the station. In domestic cases, a witness is summoned to court under a threat of fine. A court-issued summons may be served on the witness by sign-for-delivery mail, by regular mail or electronic communication, if it may be presumed that he will receive notice of the summons and return the certificate of service before the set deadline. Alternatively, a process server may serve the summons on the witness.
Summoning suspects to pre-trial investigation or to court. The pre-trial investigation authority summons the suspect to be questioned. Failure to comply with the summons may result in his being brought to the police station. After the prosecutor has filed charges against someone, the court issues a summons whereby the defendant is urged to respond in writing to the charges and other claims within a time limit set by the court.