Den nordiske retsbevidsthedsundersøgelse

Abstract

See abstract in article.

The public sense of justice in Scandinavia: A study of attitudes towards punishments

“…The project has been financed by the Scandinavian Research Council (Balvig, 2006 andJerre and Tham, 2010;Gunnlaugsson, 2010;Balvig et al, 2010;Olaussen, 2013), and in English (Jerre, 2013a). The forms employed in the postal questionnaire have been translated into English.…”

“…At the same time, there has been a much greater preoccupation with getting criminals to desist from their criminal existence than with ensuring that punishments correspond to what ordinary people now think is right and correct’ (cited in Balvig, 2006: 43). When the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget) adopted a new penal law in 2009, sanctions for violent and sexual offences were stiffened substantially in the context of complete agreement among the political parties that it was necessary for court sentences to match the levels demanded by public opinion (Balvig et al, 2010: 236). In Iceland there is much to suggest that what is referred to as the will of the people has been used to justify a consistent move towards harsher sentencing policy over recent years (Balvig et al, 2010: 249), and an editorial in a leading newspaper has written that ‘[i]t is still evident that the Supreme Court is too lenient when it comes to serious sexual offences and other violence; the public is outraged’ ( Morgunblaðið , 2007).…”

“…When the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget) adopted a new penal law in 2009, sanctions for violent and sexual offences were stiffened substantially in the context of complete agreement among the political parties that it was necessary for court sentences to match the levels demanded by public opinion (Balvig et al, 2010: 236). In Iceland there is much to suggest that what is referred to as the will of the people has been used to justify a consistent move towards harsher sentencing policy over recent years (Balvig et al, 2010: 249), and an editorial in a leading newspaper has written that ‘[i]t is still evident that the Supreme Court is too lenient when it comes to serious sexual offences and other violence; the public is outraged’ ( Morgunblaðið , 2007). In Finland, too, the media often report on individual cases that are said to have been judged too leniently by the courts, and the public is said to be demanding stiffer punishments than are meted out in the courts, particularly for violent crime and sex offences.…”

The Dissolution of Social Democracy

“…Norwegians have called for a tougher response to crime. One poll in 2009 showed that around 70 percent of respondents believed that prison sentences remained too short, and more than 80 percent felt that violent offenders in particular should face harsher sentences; approximately half the respondents compared Norwegian prison conditions to a "stay in a hotel" (Balvig et al, 2010). An increasingly anxious public has pushed politicians to enact legislative changes that raise sentencing levels and introduce harsher penal sanctions.…”

Ikke kun strenghed - Replik om de nordiske retsbevidsthedsundersøgelser

“…Egentlig kunne det blive derved, for det er i sin essens den samme hovedkonklusion, som vi har ment kunnet uddrages af de tilsvarende undersøgelser i Danmark 2010), i Sverige og i Island (Gunnlaugsson, 2011). For en summarisk oversigt over de nationale resultater og konklusioner, se tillige Balvig, Gunnlaugsson, Olaussen, Jerre & Tham, 2010. Undersøgelserne er også gennemført i Finland, men herfra foreligger i skrivende stund endnu ikke resultater.…”