The Supreme Court reports on its activities

The Supreme Court has released its 2021 Activity Report. Among other topics, it covers important events during the year, summarises certain guiding rulings (precedents), and presents statistical information.

The Activity Report highlights the fact that, in 2021, the Supreme Court celebrated 50 years serving as a purely precedential court, a topic which is addressed by President Anders Eka in his initial comments.

” The foundation of our judiciary is a three-tier system. The fundamental idea underlying this court hierarchy is that everyone is entitled to a primary determination in the district court, that the role of the courts of appeal is to review and provide quality assurance and, by and large, that the Supreme Court shall purely serve as a precedential court. Yet, this has not always been the view of the matter. It was only by virtue of a legal reform enacted in 1971 that it was established that the Supreme Court, in principle, would be exclusively devoted to examining questions which were important for the guidance of the application of law,” says Anders Eka.

More is written in the Activity Report about this reform and other matters associated with the Supreme Court’s task of creating precedents. The Activity Report also details how the Corona pandemic has had an impact on day-to-day work at the Court and how the operations have been adapted to the new situation. In addition, the Activity Report describes a visit from the European Court of Human Rights which took place in the autumn.

The Activity Report also contains summaries of a selection of precedential cases decided during the year. Amongst these, mention may be made of:

  • The "Rap Song” case, in which the Supreme Court found that certain statements made by an artist about a police officer in a song did not constitute a threat against a public official.
  • The “Children’s Residen­ce” case, in which the Supreme Court annulled an attachment of a residential property by reference to the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
  • The “Rape of Children or Sexual Assault of Children? (I and II)” case, in which the Supreme Court concluded that certain sexual assaults of two girls via the Internet constituted child rape.

For interviews with President Anders Eka or additional information regarding the activities of the Supreme Court, please contact the administrative junior judge Jeanette Sirsjö.

Contact

Jeanette Sirsjö, Administrative Junior Judge

+46 (0)8-561 666 61

jeanette.sirsjo@dom.se

Updated
2022-03-17