[marvin]

There's plenty to criticize in the Scandinavian judicial systems. Norway in particular has been criticized by the United Nations and various human rights organizations for decades, due to the indiscriminate use of long-term solitary confinement of suspects under criminal investigation. (Just today, a police officer accused of corruption was finally released after three months of solitary confinement - court-ordered as part of the police investigation).

Speaking of Norway in particular, there is also the question of less clear-cut rights against regarding invasion of privacy etc. than the United States constitution provides. The counterweight is a very educated and well-respected police force.

There is plenty to criticize in our contries, criticism which should definitely have a more prominent place than it does today. And I am saying this as a pretty strong supporter of the way Norway does things. The "damages" conviction of the TPB guys is another case in point: The ruling is in effect (1) a sentence to lifelong economic slavery or (2) a sentence to lifelong banishment from Sweden. Take your pick. This is not the way a modern democratic legal system should function. Similarly, criticism could also be made for the way these cases (and also the Julian Assange case, for instance) were started through external pressure rather than the regular state of affairs. Plenty of stuff that should be discussed more openly.

[belorn]

Criticism was raised quite loudly when the court rewarded damages and justified it in the court document as "punishment". Damages is not allowed to be used as such, which was raised by the lawyers (if I remember right) when they appealed to the supreme court.

It was also sad that the bribed policeman who did the investigation was not only given a free pass, but the police chief said "it shown that the policeman work in the case was appreciated".