Introducing the Swedish courts

"The courts exist for the citizens. They act with respect for the individual and with powers to impose punishments and to resolve disputes. The courts are a stable actor in the service of democracy in a multicultural and many-facetted society. The courts are the obvious forum for the resolution of disputes ..."

These words are taken from the Swedish Judiciary's vision for the future. It is with this vision in sight that the National Courts Administration and the courts are working to build an even more efficient judiciary, which in a legally secure way can perform its assignment - to determine various kinds of legal issues. 

How can the courts help me?

The courts can provide general information of a rather formal nature. For instance, we can explain how you should complete a summons application and generally describe how legal proceedings are handled.

The courts provide information about cases and matters if a request is so clearly specified that it is easy for us to find the information. If special research is required to find it, the person who wishes to have the information must usually look in the archives her/himself.

What the courts do not do

The courts do not give legal advice. You should refer to an advokat office (attorney's office) if you wish to have, for instance, advice on how proceedings should be dealt with from the legal perspective.

As it is important that the courts are objective and impartial, we do not provide information about how legal rules should be applied in an individual case.

Principle of public access to information

The principle of public access means that the general public and the media are guaranteed insight into the activities of central government and the municipal authorities.

This means that:

• everyone - Swedish and foreign citizens alike - are entitled to read the authorities' public documents to the extent the documents are not classified (secret).
• officials and other people who work for central government or the municipal authorities have the right to tell outside parties what they know to the extent they are not limited by any confidentiality obligation.
• officials also have special freedom to provide information to the media. 
• court proceedings are open to the public.

What is an official document?

A document is official if it is held by a public authority and, according to special rules, is considered to have been received or drawn up there. The document may be an ordinary paper document, or it may just as well be a written or pictorial matter or recording which can only be read, listened to or otherwise comprehended using technical aids.

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