Obituary: Antero Jyränki

*9.8.1933        †29.4.2020

Professor Emeritus Antero Jyränki died in Helsinki on April 29, 2020, at the age of 86. He was a prominent scholar of constitutional law and legal history, an influential figure in wider society, and a critic of presidential power. He became a member of the Finnish Academy of Sciences and Letters in 1987.

Born in Hamina, Jyränki spent his childhood in Kontioniemi in North Karelia. He graduated from the secondary school in 1950 and started studies at the University of Helsinki’s Faculty of Law at the age of 17 in the autumn. However, the old-fashioned and doctrinal Faculty did not fully meet his expectations. The most interesting subject was public law taught by Professor Veli Merikoski. This was not only because of the substance but also because of the easy-going teaching style, which differed from the rigidity of other Faculty scholars.

During his studies, Jyränki was active in student associations. The Student Union of the University of Helsinki became a central interest and activity for him, giving direction to his later career. Jyränki returned to the University of Helsinki as the Secretary General of the Student Union in the spring of 1957. Inspired by Paavo Kastari’s dissertation in constitutional law, he continued to postgraduate studies. Professor Kastari showed that legal scholarship could be interesting and different from the rigid Faculty mainstream. Jyränki completed his licentiate degree in the summer of 1961. After that, Kastari proposed a dissertation on constitutional law. Jyränki resulting dissertation on the supreme command of military forces (1967) received the grade Laudatur and paved the way for a later research career.

As a young academic, Jyränki also worked at the University of Tampere, where he not only did research and teaching but actively participated in national political debates as well. As a legal scholar, Jyränki was open to new questions and approaches. This was influenced by the fact that in Tampere public law discipline was closer to other social sciences than in the Faculty of Helsinki. New ideas fit well with the Kastari’s emphases, marked by an interest in the historical background of constitutional phenomena as well as in political reality. Accordingly, Jyränki also started to conceive constitutional law from a social science perspective.

The Tampere period transformed Jyränki into an active constitutional reformer and a noted debater. He remained a public figure until the end of his life, in large part as a result of his three year stint as President Urho Kekkonen’s Chief of Staff (1970-1973). This experience made Jyränki even more critical towards strong presidential power. Accordingly, he underlined the importance of the parliamentary features of the Finnish Constitution. For decades, Jyränki was an expert heard and respected by the Parliamentary Constitution Committee.

In 1973, Jyränki started as a Senior Researcher at the Academy of Finland. After that, he also spent a couple of years in Tampere as an Associate Professor. His longstanding permanent position was at the University of Turku as a Professor in Constitutional and International Law, a Chair from which he retired in 1998 after eighteen years of service. There was also a period as a Research Professor at the Academy of Finland in the mid-1980s. The Academy period resulted in Jyränki’s most important scholarly work, which deals with the Constitution and its binding force in European and North American legal thought from the period of the Great Revolutions to World War II. The work is not only a classic of Finnish law but also an impressive display of scholarship that can withstand comparison with international classics. During his active years, Jyränki took part in international cooperation primarily through the International Association of Constitutional Law. He was longstanding Member of the IACL Council (1983-2004) and later a Member of the Executive Committee (1993-2004).

Importantly, Jyränki never abandoned the role of a constitutional reformer. Although the constitutional reform of the 1970s failed, the partial reforms of the 1980s and 1990s, and the comprehensive reform of the 2000 constitution took place along the lines that Jyränki had been forging. He also served as a Permanent Expert on the Constitution 2000 Committee in the 1990s. As an emeritus, Jyränki actively continued his research work in retirement years. In his last years, he returned to legal history, penning two books dealing with the legal aftermath of the 1918 Civil War and the precarious position of Finland between the Great Powers.

As a legal scholar, Jyränki had strong views, but he always listened carefully to his opponent and was prepared to modify his views in the face of convincing arguments. This was a hallmark of his scholarly quality. Disagreement was not a problem for him but he did not tolerate weak or inaccurate arguments in a debate.

Antero Jyränki’s impact on Finnish legal scholarship and especially on constitutional law and legal history can be seen in his numerous written works. His lasting legacy is reflected in the way Finnish legal scholars think about and research constitutional law, including by taking into account the socio-political context.

Jaakko Husa is Full Professor in Law and Globalisation at the University of Helsinki.