Judiciary of Sweden
[1] The activities of these agencies include police and law enforcement, prosecution, courts, and prisons and other correctional services.
[4][5] The general courts deal with criminal cases, like an act defined in the Swedish Penal Code or in another law, for which a sanction is prescribed (e.g. theft or robbery).
[9][10] Proceedings are generally open to the public, but access can be restricted for example in cases about sexual offences.
[11][12] The general administrative courts handle numerous types of cases relating to disputes between private persons and the authorities.
[32] After a broad range of assignments that may last up to 8 years, the government determines appointments and promotion of judges to permanent positions.
To be appointed as an appellate judge, a judge must have the correct balance of good academic scores, solid research papers, several years of 'notable' litigating practice at both district and appellate courts, and voluntary service as providing legal aid as well as guest faculty providing lectures at Law Schools.
[33] In all criminal cases, the prosecutors make decisions concerning arrests and charges on behalf of the public, and are the only public officials who can make such decisions - there is a possibility, rarely used, for private individuals to present a private prosecution (enskilt åtal) as well.
(The exception is cases concerning crimes against the freedom of the press, for which the Chancellor of Justice acts as prosecutor.)
[33] The Chancellor of Justice (justitiekanslern) is by law a direct subject of the Government of Sweden,[35] the chief legal advisor to the government and the Minister, represents Sweden in civil litigation, and also has oversight responsibility similar to that of an ombudsman.
[33] A board of the Swedish Bar Association supervises members and may disqualify an advokat from practicing law.
[37] The Prosecutor General may request the board take action pursuant to the Code on Judicial Procedure.
[37] In principle, only an advokat are appointed as a public defender, though the advocate title is not a hardened requirement.
[42][43][44] The use of lay judges in Sweden goes back to medieval times, for instance the Law of Uppland (1296).
[50] The European Court of Human Rights has in a few cases determined that the outcome of such "random" selections of juries or court members may cause violations of the convention of human rights if the resulting selection of jury does not appear to be impartial or independent from the parties of the case or the matter.
[51][non-primary source needed] Legal education in Sweden results in a master of law degree after about 4–5 years of study.
