Decorations of the Order of the Cross of Liberty are usually awarded twice a year. In connection with the Flag Day of the Finnish Defence Forces, decorations are usually conferred upon military and civilian personnel of the Defence Forces and the Border Guard.   In connection with Finland’s Independence Day, decorations are awarded to other distinguished citizens. If necessary, decorations can also be awarded at other times.

The decorations are conferred by the President of the Republic as the Grand Master of the Order. The statutes of the Order of the Cross of Liberty, which have been adopted by a decree of the President of the Republic (550/1944) still governs the operation and lays the basis for the additional provisions given later.

A decoration can be proposed to the following persons, among others

• To military personnel serving in the Finnish Defence Forces, in the Ministry of Defence and in the Border Guard for military merits
• To civilians employed by the Finnish Defence Forces and other civilians who have worked in support of the Defence Forces for distinguished actions benefitting the Defence Forces
• To civilians and military persons for distinguished actions in support of Finland’s national defence, especially in current national defence work and in support of voluntary national defence
• To persons distinguished in international tasks when military impact and impact on national defence is concerned
• To citizens who have acted in an outstanding manner for the benefit of Finland’s security policy and external security and to citizens who have in some other way contributed to the strengthening of Finland’s security.

Usually, proposals for the conferral of a decoration are made by public administration, the authorities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), but the parties eligible for making a proposal have not been determined or limited in advance.

As a rule, when the decoration is granted, at least seven years must have passed from the conferral of the previous decoration upon this person. Similarly, with Medal for Military Merits, the Order of the Cross of Liberty complies with a time limit of two years. A decoration of no more than one Order can be proposed for a person at the same time.

The proposal shall be primarily drawn up using the form for proposing a decoration of the Order of the Cross of Liberty. If decorations are proposed to more than one person, it is recommended that the party submitting the proposals places the persons in the order of preference. When proposing a decoration for a foreign national, the form shall be adapted, adding the required additional information in a free form.

• Form VRR km for proposing a decoration

Justifications for the proposal (item E in the form / Specific justification) should be considered carefully. For example, it is advisable to mention the following as justifications, where possible:

• In what tasks or activities has the person engaged in and distinguished themselves,
• What are the person’s special merits that make the person stand out for the decoration,
• What has the significance and impact of the person’s activities or single action been, for example, from the point of view of society, the community, the NGO or other parties or other citizens.

If necessary, the Chancery of the Order will provide technical instructions on how to draw up proposals for decorations.