Bruno Aleksander Salmiala (24 August 1890 in Gävle, Sweden as Bruno Sundström – 4 September 1981 in

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...

) was a

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

legal theorist and a far-right politician.

Legal career

Salmiala completed his PhD in

jurisprudence Jurisprudence, or legal theory, is the theoretical study of the propriety of law. Scholars of jurisprudence seek to explain the nature of law in its most general form and they also seek to achieve a deeper understanding of legal reasoning a ...

at the

University of Helsinki The University of Helsinki ( fi, Helsingin yliopisto, sv, Helsingfors universitet, abbreviated UH) is a public research university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but founded in the city of Turku (in Swedish ''Åbo'') in 1640 as the ...

in 1924 and became a career academic, serving as a professor of criminal law at the institution from 1925 to 1959.

Philip Rees Philip Rees (born 1941) is a British writer and librarian formerly in charge of acquisitions at the J. B. Morrell Library, University of York. He has written books on fascism and the extreme right. Works *''Fascism in Britain'' (Harvester Pres ...

, ''

Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890 The ''Biographical Dictionary of the Extreme Right Since 1890'' is a reference book by Philip Rees, on leading people in the various far right movements since 1890. It contains entries for what the author regards as "the 500 major figures on the r ...

'', 1990, p. 342 He worked as the secretary of the Finnish Bar Association from 1920 to 1957 and was the

executive editor Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dire ...

of the

legal journal A law review or law journal is a scholarly journal or publication that focuses on legal issues. A law review is a type of legal periodical. Law reviews are a source of research, imbedded with analyzed and referenced legal topics; they also pro ...

''Defensor Legis'' for 48 years (1920–1968). Salmiala also had an extensive career in the civil service, first as the deputy

Parliamentary Ombudsman Parliamentary Ombudsman ( fi, Eduskunnan oikeusasiamies, sv, Riksdagens ombudsman, is, Umboðsmaður Alþingis, da, Folketingets Ombudsmand, no, Sivilombudet) is the name of the principal ombudsman institutions in Finland, Iceland, Denmark, Nor ...

(1924–1928), then as a prosecutor (1926–1930) and finally as the head of the Criminal law institute (1955–1959).

Politics

Salmiala's first involvement in politics came in 1928 when he was appointed to the board of directors of ''

Uusi Suomi ''Uusi Suomi'' ( Finnish for ''The New Finland'') was a Finnish daily newspaper that was published from 1919 to 1991. The headquarters was in Helsinki, Finland. History and profile ''Uusi Suomi'' was established in 1919 as a continuation of tw ...

'', the organ of the

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy that seeks to promote and to preserve traditional institutions, practices, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civilization in ...

National Coalition Party sv, Samlingspartiet , leader1_title = Chairman , leader1_name = Petteri Orpo , leader2_title = Deputy chairs , leader2_name = Antti HäkkänenElina ValtonenAnna-Kaisa Ikonen , merger = Finnish Party, Young Finn ...

. However his opinions shifted to the

right Rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical ...

and in 1932 he joined the Academic Karelia Society and became a founder member of the Patriotic People's Movement (IKL). He was appointed deputy leader in charge of organisation in the latter movement. An opponent of the violent tactics sometimes employed by the IKL due to his legal background he was nonetheless ideologically radical in contrast to the more conservative likes of Herman Gummerus and Erkki Räikkönen. He also represented

Häme Province The Province of Häme ( fi, Hämeen lääni, sv, Tavastehus län) was a province of Finland from 1831 to 1997. In 1997 the southern parts with Kanta-Häme, Päijät-Häme was merged with the province of Uusimaa and Kymi into the new Provin ...

in the

Parliament of Finland The Parliament of Finland ( ; ) is the unicameral and supreme legislature of Finland, founded on 9 May 1906. In accordance with the Constitution of Finland, sovereignty belongs to the people, and that power is vested in the Parliament. The ...

for the IKL from 1933 to 1944. Additionally, Salmiala served as an elected member of the

Helsinki city council The City Council of Helsinki (, ) is the main decision-making organ in the local politics of Helsinki, Finland. The City Council deals with issues such as city planning, schools, health care, and public transport. The 85-seat Council's members a ...

Later years

Salmiala dropped out of politics after the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

and, as well as continuing his academic work, was a member of the Finnish Radio and Television Committee. He lived to the age 91.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Salmiala, Bruno 1890 births 1981 deaths People from Gävle Patriotic People's Movement (Finland) politicians Members of the Parliament of Finland (1933–36) Members of the Parliament of Finland (1936–39) Members of the Parliament of Finland (1939–45) 20th-century Finnish lawyers Finnish legal scholars University of Helsinki alumni Academic staff of the University of Helsinki Finnish fascists