Criminal law in Norway

Criminal law in Norway concerns acts that the state treats as offences against people, property, public safety, or society. It is different from a private dispute where one person mainly seeks money or another remedy from another person. The Penal Code is called straffeloven. It describes offences and possible sanctions, while criminal procedure rules explain how police, prosecutors, courts, suspects, victims, and witnesses take part. The police investigate suspected offences. The prosecution authority, called påtalemyndigheten, decides in the relevant cases whether evidence supports prosecution and what legal response is appropriate. A suspect has important procedural protections. These may include information about the suspicion, the right to a defense lawyer called a forsvarer, the right not to give an explanation, and access to an interpreter when needed. Serious liberty restrictions require legal safeguards. Arrest, detention, and pre-trial custody, called varetektsfengsling, are not the same as a final conviction and are subject to judicial control. Criminal cases are heard in the ordinary court system. The tingrett is normally the first court, the lagmannsrett hears many appeals, and Høyesterett mainly deals with important questions of law. Possible sanctions include fines, imprisonment, suspended sentences, community sanctions called samfunnsstraff, and special responses for young offenders. The result depends on the offence, evidence, harm, intent, and personal circumstances. Victims may have rights to information, participation, protection, and compensation. In serious cases, a victim may receive a bistandsadvokat, a lawyer who supports the victim during the criminal process.