Large jugs of water have been a common sight on the tables inside the courtrooms in Hordaland District Court. But now it stops. This week the district court stopped serving water to the actors during their court hearings. The reason is that the district court expects that they will have to save around NOK 3.5 million in next year’s budget. Coroner Håkon Rastum in Hordaland district court does not know how much they save on that. – Of course, we don’t save any particular money on this, but we save a lot of time, he says. Advokatbladet mentioned the case first. Must be emptied and cleaned He estimates that on a normal day there are between 50 and 100 fewer water jugs that need to be filled, transported around to the courtrooms on the six to seven floors, emptied and cleaned. Until now, it has been the case handlers who have done the work. – The same case managers who give advice on probate, who give notarial confirmations and ensure that things go as they should. It will be a small measure to prioritize the resources where we need them most. Went for Coca-Cola instead Lawyer Tore Johan Sørland thinks it will be fine that he and his clients will no longer be served water. – I understand that they have to save at all costs when they get less money. On Friday, he instead bought a Coca-Cola for the client he was supposed to defend in a prison meeting. He nevertheless asks the government to put more money on the table for the courts. – This shows how bad things are, says Sørland. Lawyer Tore Johan Sørland brought a soft drink bottle with him on Friday for the client he was supposed to defend in a detention meeting in the courthouse in Bergen. Photo: Sjur Mikal Dolve / news – Not what saves the district court For witnesses and on the judge’s table, water will still be presented. The actors can also use the water dispensers in the corridors of the courthouse. When infection control measures were in place during the corona pandemic, it was also the case that the parties themselves had to provide water. – We feel that it is not such a big burden on the actors, as it is if the cases drag on in time. But that is not what will save the district court, so to speak. The anxiety about the treatment time Rastum is more anxious about the other cuts they will have to make. – The number of vacancies has been reduced, and it is just as bad that the digitization work is being put on hold. The third factor is that our competence work will suffer, says Rastum. The district court has been on its way to reducing the cases that have a doctor on hold, but now he is worried that the processing time may be longer again. With fewer judges, he is concerned about the processing time and what it means for legal certainty – This goes beyond non-priority criminal cases and non-priority civil cases. We know from experience that the evidence often becomes worse when it takes longer. Coroner Håkon Rastum in Hordaland district court is more worried about the other cuts they will have to make. Photo: Sjur Mikal Dolve / news – Up to the individual In total, the judiciary must save around NOK 102 million in next year’s budget. – The most demanding economic situation the third state power has faced in our time, said director Sven Marius Urke in the Court Administration (DA), when the cut was announced. Among other things, they will introduce a freeze on appointments in the courts and in the Court Administration to save money. In addition, all digitization is put on hold. Communications manager Yngve Brox in DA has no qualms about Hordaland district court now cutting water supply. – It is up to the individual court how they will handle the budget situation, so what they do in Hordaland District Court they must find out how to solve. At the end of November, all Norwegian magistrates, court clerks and land transfer court leaders sent a letter to the Justice Committee in the Storting, in which they expressed their uneasiness about the tight budget, writes Rett24. The letter states, among other things, that “the budget will weaken the court’s independence as the third state power” and that “the budget reduction will also mean that it will be difficult to have sound operations at several of the courts”. The heads of the courts send this letter to the Judiciary Committee The State Budget and Norway’s Courts We, all first instance judges, magistrates and land transfer judges in Norwegian courts, are very concerned about the government’s proposal for a budget for the courts; the courts of appeal, the district courts and the land transfer courts. The budget will weaken the independence of the courts as the third branch of government and could lead to reduced efficiency and quality in our decisions. We, the leaders of the courts emphasize that the courts are fundamental and important institutions in the development of society and for our legal certainty. Section 95, second paragraph, of the Constitution provides that “[s]the national authorities must ensure the independence and impartiality of the courts and judges”. The Norwegian state is also responsible for, among other things, “ensure access to legal protection for all and build well-functioning, responsible and inclusive institutions” (UN Sustainable Development Goal no. 16). We point out that the Storting has in several contexts emphasized the need to strengthen the independence of the courts. The government’s budget proposal breaks with this, both with the division into several budget chapters and the detailed management of specific costs, such as the proposal to reduce the expenses of deputy judges in the district courts by NOK 18 million. The Board of the Court Administration, appointed by the King in Council and the Storting, must have a combined budget item for the courts and the Court Administration and freedom to dispose of the budget, for the good of all the courts. We give the Court Administration our full support in that the budget for the courts involves a real reduction of NOK 102 million, in a situation where the police, the prosecution and now also the correctional service are otherwise being strengthened. The cut in the court budget will mean that the necessary digitization of the courts will stop, judges and case managers will not be replaced in the event of unemployment and unworthy, inappropriate and unsecured court premises in many court locations around the country will not be renewed. The budget reduction will also mean that it will be difficult to operate properly at several of the courts. This could mean that the legal provision for the citizens becomes worse, the processing time increases, the quality of our decisions is weakened and the public’s trust in the courts as conflict resolvers is reduced. We court leaders are therefore collectively addressing the Storting directly and we are asking our elected officials to strengthen the courts, and not weaken them. Savings in several places District courts in other places in the country have taken other measures to save money: Oslo District Court has introduced a number of energy-saving measures, linked to ventilation, lighting and thermostats. In addition, all employees are encouraged to save electricity. The Eidsivating Court of Appeal has taken measures to save on energy costs, including by lowering the temperature in its premises. Sør-Rogaland district court has turned down the temperature and asked the employees to dress better, writes Sandnesposten. The Salten and Lofoten District Court has not decided exactly what cuts they want to make.
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Blood-red budget for the judiciary – Hordaland district court stops serving water – news Vestland
