The Swedish Judiciary Gran Bodin 1 The Swedish

The Swedish Judiciary Göran Bodin 1

The Swedish Administrative System The Parliament 2 Government Ministry A Ministry B Ministry of Justice The Police The Prosecution The Judiciary

The Judiciary GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE COURTS GENERAL COURTS The Supreme Court Swedish National Courts Administration Courts of Appeal (6) Administrative Courts of Appeal (4) District Courts (49) Administrative Courts (12) Number of employees 3750, of these are 1150 judges Rent and Tenancy Tribunals (8) 3 The Supreme Administrative Court Number of employees 2050, of these are 600 judges The Legal Aid Authority

The General Courts District Court Criminal cases Civil cases 4

Type of cases - district courts • Criminal cases – – – Homicide, assault, sexual assault and related offences Robbery, theft and related offences Economic crime and fraud Minor offences (cases dealt with by a law clerk) Other offences • Civil cases – Family cases – Minor cases (the matter in dispute is about a small amount) – Other civil cases • Environmental cases • Property cases 5

The General Courts Court of Appeal Criminal cases Civil cases 6

The General Courts The Supreme Court Criminal cases Civil cases 7

The General Administrative Courts (14) Cases between the individual and the public, i. e. tax cases and cases under the Social Services Act. 8

Type of cases - administrative courts Main categories • Tax cases • Social insurance cases • Cases under the Social Services Act • Psychiatry cases • Cases about social welfare • Migration cases • Other cases 9

The General Administrative Courts of Appeal 10

The General Administrative Courts The Supreme Administrative Court 11

Objectives from the government (2) • 75 % of the criminal cases in the District Courts and the Courts of Appeal should be closed within five months • 75 % of the civil cases in the District Courts and the Courts of Appeal should be closed within seven months • 75 % of the cases in the administrative courts should be closed within sex months 12

Performance 2008 (according to the Government objectives) Type of court/category of case Time in months to close 75 % of the cases ( 75 percentile) Governments objectives 13 Results 2006 2007 2008 District Courts - Civil cases - Criminal cases 7, 0 5, 0 9, 5 5, 6 9, 3 6, 0 8, 6 5, 5 Courts of Appeal - Civil cases - Criminal cases 7, 0 5, 0 10, 7 9, 2 10, 0 9, 6 9, 7 8, 5

Performance 2008 (according to the Government objectives) Type of court/category of case Time in months to close 75 % of the cases ( 75 percentile) Governments objectives Results 2006 2007 2008 6, 0 9, 1 9, 7 8, 7 6, 0 10, 9 10, 8 10, 0 Administrative Courts of Appeal 14

Strategic regulations for court buildings Separate rooms for prosecutors, lawyers, witnesses, plaintiffs etc. Rooms for discussion, negotiation and preparation There ought to be 4 entrances to the courtroom for the different parties The reception Court room A manned reception 15

Strategic regulations for court buildings Offices • Office premises should be completely separate from the courtrooms. • No visitors have access to these premises. • The design of the offices should be flexible to allow for different grouping arrangements and a changing organisation. • The offices are adapted to working methods and workgroups – not to person or position. • The offices should promote an exchange of information between colleagues, thus creating an open environment with common meeting rooms, file rooms, information areas, relaxation areas etc. 16

The role of the Swedish National Courts Administration (SNCA) • The National Courts Administration is a state agency reporting to the Government • The National Courts Administration can not interfere with the courts adjudicating activities (courts and judges are independent) • The main task is to be responsible for overall coordination and comprehensive issues for the Swedish Judiciary. This includes personnel development, training of judges and court staff, information to courts and the public, providing premises, ITsystems and court technology, resource allocation and court statistics, budgeting and financial analysis and follow up 17

Swedish National Courts Administration - the organisation Appointments Proposals Board The General Director Staff Disciplinary Board 18 Law Clerk Board Internal Audit Office Legal Department Communications Department Administration Department Security Department Development Department Human Resources Department Finance Department IT Department