Editing Kaarlo Juho Ståhlberg (section)

===Career as politician===
Ståhlberg participated in the [[Diet of Finland]] (1904–1905) as a member of the Estate of Burgesses. In 1905, he was appointed as a Senator in the newly formed Senate of [[Leo Mechelin]], with responsibility for trade and industry. One of the most important tasks facing the new ''constitutionalist'' Senate was to consider proposals for the reform of the [[Diet of Finland]] and, although initially sceptical about some of the proposal, Ståhlberg played a role in the drafting of the legislation which created the [[Parliament of Finland]]. Ståhlberg resigned from the Senate in 1907, due to Parliament's rejection of a Senate bill on the prohibition of alcohol.

The following year he resumed his academic career and was appointed as Professor of Administrative Law at the University of Helsinki, a position he retained until 1918. During his time in that post he wrote his most influential piece of work, "''Finnish administrative law, volumes I & II''." He also remained active in politics, being elected to the central committee of the Young Finnish Party. In 1908, Ståhlberg was elected as a member of Parliament for the Southern Häme constituency, which he represented until 1910. He also served as a member for the Southern Oulu constituency from 1913 until his appointment as President of the Supreme Administrative Court in 1918. Ståhlberg also served as [[Speakers of the Parliament of Finland|Speaker]] of the Parliament in 1914.

After the [[February Revolution]] in 1917, Ståhlberg was backed by the majority of the non-socialists members of Parliament as a candidate to become Vice-Chairman of the Economic Department of the Senate. However, he did not receive the support of the [[Social Democratic Party of Finland|Social Democrats]], which he had made a precondition of his being elected. Instead, the Social Democrat [[Oskari Tokoi]] was elected, with Ståhlberg being appointed as chairman of the Constitutional Council. This body had been set up earlier to draw up plans for a new form of government for Finland, in light of the events surrounding the February Revolution and the abdication of [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]] as [[Emperor of Russia]] and [[Grand Duke of Finland]].

The new form of government approved by the council was largely based on the 1772 [[Swedish Constitution of 1772|Instrument of Government]], dating from the period of Swedish rule. The proposed form of government was rejected by the [[Russian Provisional Government]], and was then left largely forgotten for a time due to the confusion and urgency of the situation surrounding the [[October Revolution]] and the declaration of Finland's independence.