The Liland affair was a Norwegian murder trial which gave rise to a miscarriage of justice.
At about 10:45 am on 24 December 1969, two men, John Olav Larsen and Håkon Edvard Johansen were found murdered at Glemmengata 73 in the Norwegian town Fredrikstad.
The address was known to be frequented by people who abused drugs or alcohol and was referred to locally as "little hell".
After serving his entire sentence he was finally acquitted in 1994 after it became clear that he was a victim of a miscarriage of justice.
Per Kristian Liland was a known substance abuser in Fredrikstad and was arrested near the scene of the crime on 24 December 1969, just before midday.
(The sentences (livsvarig fengsel and sikiring) no longer exist in that form in Norwegian law.)
A local GP, Mikael Frestand, was called to the scene before the Norwegian police unit which deals with serious crime arrived in Fredrikstad.
Alf Nordhus, the lawyer who represented Liland appealed against the handling of the case and the sentencing at the Supreme Court.
Sten Ekroth, a Swedish pop music manager was on an engagement trip with his wife-to-be Vibeke and by chance came to play an important role in the case.
At the time Norwegian law allowed sentences of prisoners who were considered a danger to society to be extended by a maximum of ten years.
At the original trial several witnesses claimed to have seen the two murder victims alive after 22 December.
Sten and Vibeke Ekroth had, after the trial, questioned several witnesses who made similar claims.
It came to light that police officers Hageløkke and Restad, who investigated the scene of the murder had found a food coupon in Larsen's back pocket.
Before the main proceedings, the prosecution informed that court that it intended to drop its objection to a full acquittal.