The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
How would you feel if you could not trust you government? If the very people obstructing your democratic rights, were the very people who were supposed to be protecting them? It would be pretty terrifying, I think. Very disheartening at the very least. In the Stieg Larsson's books, this is exactly what happens to the main character, Lisbeth Salander. I don't want to ruin the books for you, but to give you a solid background to go on, there are a series of serious infringements on her rights by the a multitude of people, including many in the government, and she can do almost nothing about it. They are serious crimes that affect her life from the get-go. I was reading these books, and I was interested in why something like that would theoretically be able to happen in Sweden, when they are a democratic country.
Sweden is a parliamentary democracy. Meaning they have a parliament, called the Riksdag, who is elected by the people. They also have a prime minister who presides over an array of other ministries, all elected by the people. The ministry I will be focusing on is the Ministry of Justice. One of their duties is enforcing the Swedish constitution on the citizens. So. Who watches the authorities? That was a little harder to find.
The Parliamentary Ombudsmen would be the answer. It is a separate institution from the general courts. They investigate complaints against authorities. The complaints can be lodged by anyone, of any age, and any citizenship. The complaints are then investigated, and if there is sufficient evidence of handling the law wrong, then the Ombudsmen can begin legal proceedings. However, most of the time, they simply send a recommendation to the authority figure. Which is, obviously, not legally binding. The parliamentary Ombudsmen is elected by the parliament. The very people it is supposed to be investigating.
I think that the reason it would be easier for these crimes to be committed by the people of the government in Sweden, rather than in the United States, is because their authority figures do not go through the same court system the ordinary citizen does. If a congressman were accused of murder here, they would be put throught the judicial system same as you and I. In Sweden, there would be a formal complaint, which would be investigated by a separate institution: The Parliamentary Ombudsmen. The institution we are talking about, incidentally, is elected by the authority figures it is investigating. This seems, to me, a conflict of interests of sorts. If they want to be re-elected by these people, they might be a lot more hesitant to charge them with abusing the law. This is why, in the books, it is very easy for the government authorities to persecute Lisbeth Salander, and through a few corrupt government officials, completely control the chance of being accused that might have existed. It is not a situation I agree with. I believe that our system, where everyone goes through the same judicial system, is a much better option.
Sweden is a parliamentary democracy. Meaning they have a parliament, called the Riksdag, who is elected by the people. They also have a prime minister who presides over an array of other ministries, all elected by the people. The ministry I will be focusing on is the Ministry of Justice. One of their duties is enforcing the Swedish constitution on the citizens. So. Who watches the authorities? That was a little harder to find.
The Parliamentary Ombudsmen would be the answer. It is a separate institution from the general courts. They investigate complaints against authorities. The complaints can be lodged by anyone, of any age, and any citizenship. The complaints are then investigated, and if there is sufficient evidence of handling the law wrong, then the Ombudsmen can begin legal proceedings. However, most of the time, they simply send a recommendation to the authority figure. Which is, obviously, not legally binding. The parliamentary Ombudsmen is elected by the parliament. The very people it is supposed to be investigating.
I think that the reason it would be easier for these crimes to be committed by the people of the government in Sweden, rather than in the United States, is because their authority figures do not go through the same court system the ordinary citizen does. If a congressman were accused of murder here, they would be put throught the judicial system same as you and I. In Sweden, there would be a formal complaint, which would be investigated by a separate institution: The Parliamentary Ombudsmen. The institution we are talking about, incidentally, is elected by the authority figures it is investigating. This seems, to me, a conflict of interests of sorts. If they want to be re-elected by these people, they might be a lot more hesitant to charge them with abusing the law. This is why, in the books, it is very easy for the government authorities to persecute Lisbeth Salander, and through a few corrupt government officials, completely control the chance of being accused that might have existed. It is not a situation I agree with. I believe that our system, where everyone goes through the same judicial system, is a much better option.
Parliamentary Ombudsmen Website
Sweden's Government Website
The Review of Sweden's Judicial Sysem is on The above website.
Sweden's Government Website
The Review of Sweden's Judicial Sysem is on The above website.