Sweden's Criminal Justice System: An Overview

Introduction: Sweden's Geography, Population, and Government

Location

Sweden is located in Northern Europe. It borders the Baltic Sea, the Gulfs of Bothnia, Kattegat, and Skagerrak, and lies between Finland and Norway in a strategic position along the Danish Straits linking the Baltic and North Seas ("Sweden," 2008).

Geography

The geographic composition of Sweden includes 3,218 km of coastline and land that is mostly flat or gently rolling lowland, with a small portion of mountains in the west. The climate is mostly temperate in the south, with cold, cloudy winters and cool, partly cloudy summers, and sub-arctic in the north. Sweden also has a very limited area of arable land — 5.93% — with only 0.1% dedicated to permanent crops; 1,150 square kilometers of land are irrigated, and fresh water supplies are limited. Sweden is roughly the size of California or France ("Sweden," 2008).

Population Size and Ethnic Composition

As of 2007, the CIA World Factbook estimated the Swedish population at 9,031,088, with the following age breakdown: 0–14 years, 16.4% (male 759,488 / female 717,812); 15–64 years, 65.7% (male 3,007,899 / female 2,926,220); 65 years and over, 17.9% (male 707,687 / female 911,982) ("Sweden," 2008). The ethnic composition is mostly an indigenous population of Swedes, with small Finnish and Sami minorities. The Sami are indigenous peoples who live mainly in small communities and are associated with reindeer husbandry. Previously known as Lapps — a term they consider derogatory — they are now called the Sami or Saemieh, which translates roughly as "the reindeer people." There are Sami populations indigenous to Sweden, Jämtland, and Härjedalen, as well as to the broader region known as Lapland. Their culture is largely independent of regional governmental cultures and is unique to Scandinavia ("An Introduction to the Sami," 1996).

The population of Sweden also includes a small minority of foreign-born or first-generation immigrants, including Finns, Yugoslavs, Danes, Norwegians, Greeks, and Turks. Swedish is the dominant language, with small Sami- and Finnish-speaking minorities. The religious composition is approximately 87% Lutheran, with a 13% minority of other faiths including Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Baptist, Muslim, Jewish, and Buddhist ("Sweden," 2008).

Political System and System of Government

Sweden is governed as a constitutional monarchy. The monarch serves as Head of State (King Carl XVI Gustaf, since 19 September 1973), while the Prime Minister, elected by parliament, serves as head of government (Fredrik Reinfeldt, since 5 October 2006). The Parliament (Riksdag) is elected by popular vote — universal suffrage at age 18 — holds 349 seats on a proportional representative schedule, and members serve four-year terms. The current constitution was adopted on 1 January 1975 and serves as the major source of governmental decision-making. The popular vote of parliament results in the appointment of a Prime Minister; the next elections were scheduled for 2010 ("Sweden," 2008).

Parliament must approve all national taxes, annual budgets, and legislation. Its decision-making powers are without limitation beyond those based on specific rules in the Constitution, such as the protection of free speech, the ban on capital punishment, and the independence of the courts and state civil service in enforcing laws (Wikstrom & Dolman, 1993). The position of the monarch is largely ceremonial, and most governmental decisions are made by parliament and state, local, and regional governments (Wikstrom & Dolman, 1993).

The judicial system is described as follows in official government documentation:

"The judicial system is normally taken to comprise the agencies responsible for ensuring legal security and the rule of law. The courts form the backbone of this system. Agencies for crime prevention and investigation — i.e., the Swedish Police Service, the Crime Victim Compensation and Support Authority, the Swedish Prosecution Authority, the Swedish National Economic Crimes Bureau, and the Swedish Prison and Probation Service — are also regarded as part of the judicial system. Other public agencies, such as the National Board of Forensic Medicine and the enforcement services, also have tasks within or linked to the judicial system." ("The Swedish Judicial System," 2007, p. 3)

The Swedish judicial system and the Ministry of Justice have relatively broad roles and responsibilities, including oversight of budget and funding for crime agencies as well as some core crime-related legislation ("The Swedish Judicial System," 2007, p. 3).