Open Access Unrestricted online access star

When it emerged that 80 people had served prison sentences on wrongful grounds, and at least 8,000 had received incorrect demands to repay benefits they had received from Nav, there was an uproar. The Director of Public Prosecutions called the EEA—or Nav—case Norway's biggest rule-of-law scandal. The government promised to turn over every stone to find out how it could happen. A public commission of inquiry delivered sharp criticism—of Nav's leadership at all levels, of political leadership, the courts, the press, defense lawyers, and university communities. Everyone was guilty in their own areas. No one took responsibility; the scandal never truly erupted. How can similar events be prevented in the future? To take necessary precautions, it is essential to view the case in a broader context. The miscarriages of justice are an expression of changes in society's power relations. This book emphasizes shifts between the branches of government, where the administration has been pushed onto the defensive vis-à-vis the legislature, while the courts have assumed a spectator role. At the same time, Nav's clientele has increasingly fallen into disrepute. The Nav case was a foreseeable event for anyone who follows democracy's and the rule-of-law state's institutions. But who is watching over the rule of law?

Creative Commons Licence cc by cc https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

nor

Freely available e-book