Law and justice

This chapter covers Sweden's laws and the justice system that makes sure the laws are followed. The foundation is the four fundamental laws, which are harder to change than ordinary laws: the Instrument of Government (regeringsformen), the Freedom of the Press Act, the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression, and the Act of Succession. The Instrument of Government establishes that all public power stems from the people, that the Riksdag makes laws and the government runs the country, and it protects citizens' basic freedoms and rights. It also protects the right of public access (allemansrätten), which gives everyone the right to be in nature regardless of who owns the land, for example to walk, cycle, camp and pick berries, but you may not damage nature, cross someone's field, or pick protected plants. The Freedom of the Press Act protects free speech in print, and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression gives the right to express yourself freely in, for example, radio and TV, and to form associations and demonstrate. These freedoms are not unlimited, however: it is forbidden to defame or insult others, to incite hatred against a group or commit a hate crime, or to spread material that could harm national security. The Act of Succession regulates who becomes the next king or queen.

The justice system is described as several agencies working together: the police prevent and investigate crime, the Swedish Prosecution Authority decides on charges, the courts assess evidence and decide on sentencing, the Crime Victim Authority supports victims of crime, and the Prison and Probation Service (Kriminalvården) runs prisons and enforces sentences. The rule of law means everyone is treated equally before the law, courts are independent of the Riksdag and the government, and anyone convicted has the right to a defence lawyer and to appeal. There are three levels of court: the district court (tingsrätten) as the first instance, the court of appeal (hovrätten) which reviews appeals, and the Supreme Court, which only hears especially important cases. A suspect is presumed innocent until a verdict is reached.

The chapter also describes the stages of a criminal investigation: reporting a crime to the police, questioning, a preliminary investigation, possible arrest for up to 72 hours, and in some cases detention while awaiting trial. At the trial itself, it is the prosecutor who must prove the defendant's guilt, while a defence lawyer can challenge the evidence. In the district court, lay judges (nämndemän), appointed by the political parties, decide alongside the judge. Anyone of criminal responsibility age, from 15, can be convicted of a crime, although a 2026 proposal would lower this to 13 for serious crimes. Anyone convicted of certain crimes is entered in the criminal record, which can affect things like the chance of getting a job or citizenship later. Given the many concrete names, age limits and steps in a criminal investigation, this is a chapter where exact details are likely to come up on the test.