SWEDEN’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
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Sweden’s Criminal Justice System
Tion Q. Fambro
Department of Criminal Justice, Liberty University
Author Note
Tion Q. Fambro
I have no known conflict of interest to disclose.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Tion Q. Fambro,
Department of Criminal Justice, Liberty University, 1971 University Blvd,
Lynchburg, VA 24515.
Email: tqfambro@liberty.edu
SWEDEN’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
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Abstract
On the eastern side of the Scandinavian peninsula is the vast, sprawling nation of Sweden.
Swedish is the official language used in Sweden. Approximately 80% of the population, or a
sizable portion of it, belongs to the Lutheran State Church. Sweden's government is distinct from
that of any other industrialized nation in the world. Sweden maintains social cohesion despite its
racial differences. Women occupy 47 percent of the seats in parliament. The Swedish
constitution, often known as fundamental law, is divided into four acts. In contrast to the United
States, Sweden has just one police agency, the Swedish Police Authority, which is a division of
the Ministry of Justice. Sweden and Swedish law are discussed in this essay.
Key Terms: Fundamental law, The Instrument of Government, Act of Succession, Freedom of the
Press Act, Freedom of Expression
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Sweden’s Criminal Justice System
Sweden is a vast, sprawling nation situated on the eastern side of the Scandinavian
peninsula (Terrill, 2016, p. 213). The Baltic Sea, which is to the south of Sweden, divides it from
its neighbors, Poland and Germany. Sweden is the fourth-largest country in terms of area mass in
Europe with a total land area of 173,731 square miles. Sweden is around the same size as the
state of California in terms of size when compared to the US. More than 9 million people call
Sweden home, making it a tiny nation in terms of population in comparison to other European
nations. The three largest cities of Stockholm, Göteborg, and Malmö are home to around one-
third of Sweden's population, leaving the southern half of the country with about 90% of the
people.
Sweden was mostly a rural nation up until the middle of the nineteenth century (Terrill,
2016, p. 213). Sweden has established itself as one of the world's most industrialized nations
since the middle of the nineteenth century. Sweden is the only industrialized nation in the world
with the ability to be almost entirely self-sufficient, with the United States being the lone
exception.
Swedish is the official language used in Sweden. Around 80% of the population is made
up of Lutheran State Church members, a sizable portion of the population (Terrill, 2016, p. 214).
With roughly 17,000 individuals and a long history of habitation in northern Sweden, the Sami or
Lapps are the only two native minority groups left in Sweden. The Finns are the only other
notable minority group in Sweden, numbering roughly 30,000 people who have mostly resided
close to the Finnish border.
The reading claims that Sweden has focused a lot of attention on two goals since World
War II: adhering to and expanding the use of social welfare principles and the country's capacity
SWEDEN’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
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to raise the standard of living for its citizens through economic development (Terrill, 2016, p.
214). Sweden's neutral foreign policy was altered when it joined the European Union (EU) on
January 1, 1995.
When the first Swedish colonists landed in the United States in 1638 on the shores of
Delaware, links between the two countries were already established (Policy & history 2021).
Since Sweden was among the first nations to recognize American freedom in 1783, the two
nations have maintained a close bilateral relationship built on shared ideals and common
interests. In order to combat corruption and promote global political and economic development
based on human rights, the United States and Sweden collaborate closely. Sweden is dedicated to
advancing international development, human rights, gender equality, and democracy, and its
capacity to sustain a particular rate of growth elevates it to the position of a reputable leader in
world affairs. In order to more effectively promote and preserve freedom of expression, the
United States and Sweden have collaborated to increase Internet freedom in nations emerging
from tyrannical and absolute power authorities.
Basic Government Structure of Sweden
Sweden's government is distinct from that of any other industrialized nation in the world.
Sweden's society has been greatly influenced by nations like France, Germany, England, and the
United States (Terrill, 2016, p. 215). Sweden maintains social cohesion despite its racial
differences. In Sweden, women occupy 47% of the parliamentary seats. This is noteworthy
because women have traditionally held a majority of parliamentary positions in the Swedish
government, including those of speaker of the house and ministers of culture, foreign affairs,
justice, and public administration. 22 ministers, including 10 women, make up the Swedish
government, which is led by a prime minister (Terrill, 2016, p. 215). The Swedish Prime
SWEDEN’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
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Minister recently stated that "vigorous action to combat three important societal problems will be
the hallmark of Government policy in the future years:
● Reducing segregation and combating the brutal criminality that today threatens the entire
society.
● Spearheading the nation's investments to advance the green industrial revolution. In this
approach, Sweden will reduce emissions while creating the jobs of the future.
● Regaining control over the welfare system to ensure that all employees have the decent
and equitable working conditions required for their jobs. By doing this, Sweden can
guarantee excellent standards across the nation for education, healthcare, and social
services. Sweden must have stable social insurance and pensions out of respect for
everyone who works hard and has contributed to the development of our nation
(Andersson).
Swedens’ Constitution & Human Rights
The Swedish constitution, often known as fundamental law, is divided into four acts. The
Instrument of Government is the most significant provision or act in Sweden's fundamental law
(Terrill, 2016, p. 215). The Instrument of Government's explanation of governmental structure
serves this goal. The Instrument of Government's original draft first appeared in 1634; it
underwent important alterations in 1720, 1772, 1809, and 1975. The 1975 Instrument of
Government, which is identical to the original document and serves as the foundation for how
Sweden's government functions, is comparable to other nations' constitutions.
Chapter 1 of the Act's Article 1 states: "All public power in Sweden originates with the
people. The principles of universal and equal suffrage and freedom of expression underpin
Swedish democracy. Local self-governance and a representative and parliamentary system of
SWEDEN’S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
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government will be used to make it a reality. The law must be followed when exercising public
power (Terrill, 2016, p. 215). There is no bill of rights in the fundamental legislation of Sweden.
Sweden embraced the legal framework established by the European Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms when it entered the European Union in
1995.
The Act of Succession is the second text included in Sweden's fundamental law (Terrill,
2016, p. 215). The first Act of Succession was adopted in 1810 and granted the male heirs of the
Bernadotte line the right of succession to the Swedish crown. A new Act of Succession was
adopted in 1980 with the goal of ensuring gender equality.
The Freedom of the Press Act is the third fundamental law in Sweden. The Act, which
was first proposed in 1766, permits people to publish materials without first being subject to
official censorship (Terrill, 2016, p. 215). It is acceptable for published materials, including
official documents, to reflect the author's personal opinions.
The Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression is the fourth and last section of the
Swedish Fundamental Law. On January 1, 1992, the Freedom of Expressions Act went into
effect, drawing heavily on the tenets of the Freedom of the Press Act.
Legal System
In Sweden, a prosecutor represents the state and a defense attorney represents the
defendant in court. Despite the fact that police officers or prosecutors in Sweden typically only
impose summary fines for offenses (Wikstrom & Dolmen). Laws pertaining to both civil and
criminal matters are enforced by general courts. Crimes in Sweden are categorized according to
the legal criminal definitions provided in the Penal Code; there is no distinction between crimes
and infractions under this country's penal code.
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Swedish Law Enforcement & Judicial Process
In contrast to the United States, Sweden has just one police agency, the Swedish
Police Authority, which is a division of the Ministry of Justice (Sweden, n.d). A
Commissioner directly under the National Police Commissioner oversees the Department
of National Operations (NOA).
The institutions that ensure legal security and uphold the rule of law in Sweden,
including preventing and combating criminal activity, looking into crimes, enforcing
judgments, and helping crime victims, make up the judicial system (Judicial system, n.d.).
Effectiveness of Swedens’ Criminal Justice System
In comparison to other nations, Sweden's criminal justice system is compassionate
and lenient. Despite being kind and lenient, the criminal justice system has a high
recidivism rate, which largely has no impact on crime rates (Canada Correctional Service).
Due to a persistent decline in the number of convicted offenders, Sweden's correctional
facilities have had to reduce part of their available spaces (Kriminalvrden, 2017).
Sweden places a strong emphasis on recovery (Hedstrom, 2018). Comparing
Swedish prisoners to American prisoners, prison conditions in Sweden are generally
superior because Swedish prisoners are housed in more humane settings. The Swedish
criminal justice system is more effective because Swedish offenders receive more
treatment than American offenders.
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References
Andersson, M. (n.d.). Statement of government policy delivered by prime minister Magdalena
Andersson.
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Hedstrom, J. (2018). The American and Swedish Criminal Justice System: A Comparative Study.
Retrieved August 8, 2022, from https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?
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KriminalvOrden. (2017). KOS 2016: KriminalvOrd och statistisk. Kriminalv!rden. Norrköping,
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