– We propose that the authority to determine how many district courts we will have and where they will be located be transferred from the government to the Storting, says Minister of Justice and Emergency Preparedness Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp).
Today, a government must first submit proposals for changes to the court structure to the Storting. But then it is the government that formally decides in regulations where the district courts will have their permanent courts.
Must go to the Storting
There will be changes to it if the bill, which is now sent for consultation, is adopted. Then governments that want to change the court structure must obtain a majority in the Storting for the proposals. According to Mehl, it will ensure the courts a stronger democratic anchoring and better protection against future closures than the courts have today.
The Solberg government’s court reform three years ago meant that 60 district courts and 69 courts were reduced to 23 district courts. The number of courts was retained, while the number of land transfer courts was reduced from 34 to 19.
Democratic anchoring
When the government restored five new district courts in May, to great opposition from professional circles, it provoked strong reactions in the opposition. With the new law, future governments will not be able to reverse the actions of their predecessors without first going to the Storting and obtaining a majority.
– Closing down, merging or creating district courts can have a great impact both for workplaces and the population in the area in question. By legislating the district court structure, we ensure that future changes have a better and more orderly democratic anchoring, says Mehl.
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