Ernst Estlander

Ernst Henrik Estlander was a Finland-Swedish legal scholar, professor at the University of Helsinki and politician. He was a member of the Diet of Finland from 1897 to 1906 and of the Parliament of Finland from 1907 to 1945, with breaks during 1913-1916 and 1920-1922, representing the Swedish People's Party of Finland (SFP). Known for his uncompromising legalism, Estlander opposed unlawful seizures of power irrespective of whether the demands came from the right or the left; the writer Sulo Wuolijoki described him as "constitutionalism personified". During the Continuation War, he was among the signatories of the "Petition of the Thirty-three", which was presented to President Ryti on 20 August 1943 by members of the Peace opposition.