Norway registers large backlog of criminal cases due to the pandemic

The corona pandemic has led to a large backlog in the handling of criminal cases across the country.

When the country shut down in March, thousands of planned criminal cases were postponed. 

Many of them had already been waiting for processing for a long time, according to Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK).

In the Western Police District, the management chose to contact a former employee. She has been permitted to work as a substitute prosecutor in Bergen District Court until February.

Høgheim is clear that postponing criminal cases has several unfortunate consequences.

“Happy to help”

“It can be a great burden for both the offended and the accused who are waiting for a decision in their case. I’m happy to be able to help with that,” she said.

Figures from the Court Administration show that there were 3,920 ordinary criminal cases in Norway that had not been processed at the end of October.

At the same time, the courts closed 3,978 cases in the period between August 1 and October 31. 

The high number is due to fewer cases and the fact that many judges have been employed in temporary positions this autumn.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today