Even though deontic modality is one central feature of statutory texts, codifying obligation, the descriptions of obligation in Finnish legal texts are still few. This corpus-assisted study of Finnish statutory texts has an innovative approach in using English translations as a starting point for identifying the linguistic forms obligation takes in Finnish statutory texts. Beyond describing Finnish deontic modality, we look at ways it has been translated into legally valid Swedish statutes, paying special attention on existing instructions for translators. The results show that, in addition to explicitly modal expressions, Finnish statutory texts express obligation frequently using the present indicative. In Swedish, there is a range of options, but there, too, the use of the present indicative is common. Based on this study, using English translations to identify such cases for further study is a viable option. The results of the study can be applied in translator training as well as in the work of legal translators.

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The system for authorizing translators to translate legally valid texts used in Finland was revised in 2008 from a test measuring language skills into an examination containing translation assignments. The examination consists of two translation assignments and a test of the examinees’ knowledge of the professional practices of authorized translators (tested with multiple-choice questions). In the assessment of the translation products, a predefined two-dimensional assessment system is used in which translations are marked for both content and language quality. In this article, we discuss the assessment systems used in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Germany and present the results of a case study on the application of the scoring chart used in the Finnish examination.