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Crime and Punishment

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Nordic Law in European Context

Part of the book series: Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice ((IUSGENT,volume 73))

Abstract

Nordic criminal justice systems are based on shared histories and traditions, common model of society (Nordic Welfare State), as well as over 50-year co-operation in legal issues. For some periods, Finland, however, has followed its own paths, as a result of severe political crises in first part of the 20th century. This period was followed by a profound revisions of criminal law and a dramatic decrease in the use of imprisonment in 1960–1990s from over 150–60 prisoners/100,000 population. These experiences are worthwhile to study when most countries are still experiencing increasing incarceration rates. And so are the underlying principles of Nordic penal policy, which still rest on the values of Nordic Welfare State and the idea that social policy is the best criminal policy.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Olivecrona (1891), Forsman (1896).

  2. 2.

    Lappi-Seppälä (1982), pp. 61–62, Pratt and Eriksson (2013).

  3. 3.

    See Blomstedt (1964), Lahti (1977), pp. 122–127, Lappi-Seppälä (1982), p. 126 ff.

  4. 4.

    Council Framework Decision 2002/584 on the European Arrest Warrant and the Surrender Procedures between Member States. Elholm and Feldtmann (2014).

  5. 5.

    On Inkeri Anttila’s works in English, see Anttila (2001).

  6. 6.

    Andenaes (1974).

  7. 7.

    Ross (1975).

  8. 8.

    Jareborg (1969), pp. 6–7, for further works by Nils Jareborg, see Jareborg (1988) and Jareborg (2002).

  9. 9.

    Christie (1982, 2000).

  10. 10.

    Mathiesen (1990).

  11. 11.

    See e.g. several of the articles in Lahti and Nuotio (1992).

  12. 12.

    Sections 2 and 3 are largely based on Lappi-Seppälä (2017).

  13. 13.

    “Avfolka fängelserna”, see Petersson-Hjelm (2011), p. 148 ff.

  14. 14.

    Petersson-Hjelm (2011), pp. 130 and 177 ff.

  15. 15.

    For critical remarks on this point, see Petersson-Hjelm (2011), p. 262 ff.

  16. 16.

    KRUM in Sweden 1966, KRIM in Denmark and in Finland 1967 and KROM in Norway 1968, for history and the work these organizations, see Mathiesen (1974).

  17. 17.

    These changes and their background have been discussed in more detail in Lappi-Seppälä (2007, 2009).

  18. 18.

    See for discussions Ugelvik and Dullum (2012).

  19. 19.

    Lov om fuldbyrdelse af straf mv. 1999 no 145.

  20. 20.

    Lov om gjennomføring av straff mv. 2001 no 21.

  21. 21.

    Vankeuslaki/Fängelselag 767/2005.

  22. 22.

    Fängelselag 2010:610.

  23. 23.

    Lög um fullnustu refsinga No 49/2005. See also Iceland’s The Penal Code, Almenn hegningarlög 19/1940.

  24. 24.

    Greve and Snare (2009), p. 311.

  25. 25.

    Greve (2014), p. 222.

  26. 26.

    See Det Kongelige Justis-og Politidepartement (2000), pp. 12–18.

  27. 27.

    Despite these notions, the introductory chapter of the bill stresses preventive aims and security.

  28. 28.

    Principles alone, of course, are not enough. Their contents need to be specified. This is addressed by separate provisions dealing with issues such as arrival and placement in prison, basic care and accommodation, participation in activities, contacts with the outside world, prison order and discipline and inspections.

  29. 29.

    Suomen perustuslaki/Finlands grundlag 731/1999.

  30. 30.

    Rikoslaki/Strafflag 39/1889.

  31. 31.

    Brottsbalk 1962:700.

  32. 32.

    This requirement is listed as the 1st rule both in the European Prison Rules 2006 and the The United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (the Nelson Mandela Rules) 2015.

  33. 33.

    Quoted by Ruck 1951.

  34. 34.

    Recommendation Rec (2006) 2 of the Committee of Ministers to member states on the European Prison Rules.

  35. 35.

    Greve and Snare (2009), pp. 310–311.

  36. 36.

    van Zyl Smit and Snacken (2009).

  37. 37.

    As noted by critics, vague criteria (such as “the demands of security”) easily water down the intended legal safeguards. For a criticism of Danish law, see Greve and Snare (2009).

  38. 38.

    Straffeloven 1930 no 126.

  39. 39.

    As noted by Engbo (2017), the normality principle does not have fixed content. He makes a distinction between proactive and defensive approaches. The proactive approach obliges the authorities to arrange conditions enabling prisoners to live as normally as possible inside prison. The defensive approach entails a duty of non-interference in the form of minimum intervention.

  40. 40.

    For a detailed description of application of the normality principle in Finland, see Hartoneva (2002) and for Denmark Engbo (2005), pp. 44–45 and Engbo (2017).

  41. 41.

    See the Lag (1974:203) om kriminalvård i anstalt 4 §: Enforcement of imprisonment shall be carried out so that the prisoner’s adaptation to society is furthered and the detrimental effects of the deprivation of liberty are counteracted.

  42. 42.

    Straffuldbyrdelsesloven 2017 no 1491.

  43. 43.

    Lov om straff 2005 no 28.

  44. 44.

    See further Greve and Snare (2009), p. 316.

  45. 45.

    For critical reports on conditions in 18th and 19th century Nordic prisons, see Scharff Smith and Ugelvik (2017), pp. 10–12.

  46. 46.

    Petersson-Hjelm (2011), p. 361.

  47. 47.

    Pratt and Eriksson (2013).

  48. 48.

    For comparative analysis along these lines, see Cavadino and Dignan (2006) and Lacey (2008). The internal logic between political economy, welfare and social values and their relevance for penal policy formation has been analyzed in more detail in Lappi-Seppälä (2008).

  49. 49.

    For critical discussion, see Barker (2017), Ugelvik and Dullum (2012), Scharff Smith and Ugelvik (2017), Shammas (2017). For long term analysis of legislative changes in Nordic countries, see Lappi-Seppälä (2016b).

  50. 50.

    The fall is steepest in Finland from 3776 to 2859 prisoners (−24%), followed by Sweden (from 7196 to 5664, −21%). Norway forms the exception, with sharply increasing numbers of prisoners (3300–3927, +19%, which has also gained the attention of the Norwegian research community).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Criminology and Legal Policy, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Tapio Lappi-Seppälä

  2. Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Kimmo Nuotio

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  1. Tapio Lappi-Seppälä
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Correspondence to Kimmo Nuotio .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Pia Letto-Vanamo

  2. University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Ditlev Tamm

  3. University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark

    Bent Ole Gram Mortensen

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Lappi-Seppälä, T., Nuotio, K. (2019). Crime and Punishment. In: Letto-Vanamo, P., Tamm, D., Gram Mortensen, B.O. (eds) Nordic Law in European Context. Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice, vol 73. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03006-3_11

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