– Is the Minister of Justice concerned? The question from the Storting is immediately obvious. But let’s take it in order. This summer, news published its investigation of police cases on the working environment. In other words, cases about accidents at work, illegally long hours or lack of pay. The investigation showed that 83 percent of the cases were dismissed without anyone being punished. Storting representative Mímir Kristjánsson (Raudt) became angry. Someone who asks – It’s sickeningly provocative and shameful. The police have clearly not prioritized these cases, even though they are about people’s lives and health, he says. He wanted Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp) out on the field. For the police, it is the Minister of Justice’s table. And there is a seriousness about it, when the elected representatives exercise control over the government. Kristjánsson answered three questions in writing, via the Storting’s presidency. It is parliamentary custom. Then the minister must answer the same. This was the question: 83 percent – is she worried about that number? What concrete measures will he initiate? Will he earmark resources for the police work with these cases? Such questions are sent via the Presidency of the Storting. And must be answered in writing by the minister in question. This is an important way for the elected representatives to control the government. STATED: – It’s sickeningly provocative and shameful. The cases have clearly not been prioritized by the police, even though it is about people’s lives and health, says parliamentary representative Mímir Kristjánsson (Raudt). Photo: Siv Dolmen Someone who answers – or? Now Mehl has answered. Or, does she actually have it? In the 343 words in her answer, there is not a single word about omissions. She doesn’t say anything about whether she’s worried or not. Earmarking of money is not mentioned. Read the full answer from Mehl here. The Minister of Justice refers to an action plan and an evaluation from last year. And to two letters that were sent to the police earlier this year: She sent one herself. It states that the police must prioritize cases of workplace crime. The second is from the Attorney General. It establishes that workplace crime is a serious threat. And that the police must prioritize serious offences. No doubt, then. These matters must be prioritized. But what about the actual prioritization – which news has documented? 83 percent of these police cases end without anyone being punished – is that okay? Someone who doesn’t know Since the Minister of Justice did not give an answer to the representative in the Storting about this, news has contacted the other letter sender Mehl mentioned – the Attorney General. It is Attorney General Jørn Sigurd Maurud who has overall supervision of the police’s criminal case work, but news spoke to one of Maurud’s employees: – Does the Attorney General think that the percentage of dismissals in working environment cases is too high? – It is difficult for us, based on the figures presented, to assess whether the percentage for forfeiture is at the wrong level, replies First State Attorney Per Eirik Vigmostad-Olsen. WANT TO KNOW: First State Attorney Per Eirik Vigmostad-Olsen works at the Attorney General’s office. Photo: Vegard Lien / news – Why? – It will require a manual review of the cases to decide whether cases have been dismissed on the wrong basis, which we do not have the capacity to do. – Would they like to know the answer? – Yes absolutely. In these cases, there is a wide range of criminal acts that may be involved. A better knowledge base makes it easier to train the prosecution in the police and implement targeted measures to raise the quality of the handling of criminal cases. – Can’t they get help from someone else for such a review? – It is difficult to imagine, as it involves an analysis of concrete evidence assessments in individual cases. Someone who thinks he has the answer Someone who – unlike the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General – believes he has an answer, is Rune Bård Hansen. He is a team judge and former police chief in Vestfold. Hansen’s answer is: Far too many police cases about crime in working life end up in the drawer. – In such cases, the police will often get to the bottom of complex criminal networks. The cases are demanding and the police too often do not reach the goal. WOULD LIKE TO SEE FEWER DEPARTURES: The police must stop making cases more complex than necessary in order to react with tangible punishment, says team judge and former chief of police in Vestfold Rune Bård Hansen. Photo: Aina Indreiten / news Hansen also believes he has an answer to how to reduce the removal rate: The police must stop making cases more complex than necessary in order to react with tangible punishment. In many cases, they should content themselves with cracking down hard on organized and easily proven offences. – It is easier to see that a scaffolding is rusty than that a guest worker’s passport is forged. By attacking those who do not take safety seriously, you will be able to hit companies that exploit workers in other ways as well, he says. Someone who is researching different answers to news has asked Jens E. Kjeldsen, professor of rhetoric at the University of Bergen, for an assessment of the answer the Minister of Justice gave to the Storting. EXPERT: – Purely functionally, the Minister of Justice could just as easily write about how to make cranberry jam. That is the verdict from rhetoric professor Jens Kjeldsens on her answer to the Storting. Photo: private – This is answer-evasion, but it happens in a sneaky way. Because she uses the word workplace crime and says a lot in general. Nevertheless, she does not touch the questions that were asked. In a purely functional sense, she could just as easily write about how to make cranberry jam. – Is answer-evasion widespread among top Norwegian politicians? – Very. It can happen consciously or unconsciously. It often comes from a lack of knowledge or that the question puts the politician in a difficult position. – Is it a democratic problem? – Yes, obviously. Then I don’t mean just this one exchange. But answer avoidance happens so often that it has become a normal way of communicating. Instead of addressing the specific case, one talks about something else. It is a democratic problem. Read Justice Minister Emilie Enger Mehl’s response to the criticism at the bottom of the case. The person who asks the most news has taken a closer look at the written questions from the Storting to the government since the previous parliamentary election in 2021. The people’s representatives put forward a total of 6,287 questions during these two years. Seven of the ten most eager questioners are from the FRP. The Duracell rabbit is the party’s transport policy spokesperson; Frank Sve. MOST ASKED QUESTION ASKER: – The Prime Minister usually says that I alone keep half his department moving, says Storting representative Frank Sve (Frp), who has asked the most written questions to the government since the last parliamentary election. Photo: Tore Ellingseter / news – It was not surprising, says Sve, when he tells news about the first place. – The minister usually says that I alone keep half his department running. The minister is transport minister Jon-Ivar Nygård (Ap). – Do you get answers to your questions? – Yes, in the main. I want to brag about Nygård and his ministry. They make a good effort to answer properly. But Storting representative Mímir Kristjánsson is not satisfied with the written answers from the government. – Unless I ask for figures and facts, I rarely get proper answers. It becomes particularly clear when I ask for a political assessment. In this case, I got back some talking points from a party speech. It doesn’t make me any the wiser. – Do you always answer concretely to the questions you get? – Yes, I would say that. All politicians are good at talking themselves out of it, but I think I am better than most at answering the actual questions. The minister answers about his answer So what does the minister of justice himself think about his answer? – In my answer, I point out that the government has an action plan against social dumping and workplace crime. And that we will submit a parliamentary report on financial crime. It is a direct answer to the question of what measures I have put in place. – news’s investigation showed that 83 percent of police cases were dismissed without anyone being punished. Is that number alarmingly high? – Yes, I think so. I have no problem saying that. – Why didn’t you say that in your answer to the Storting? – Knowing what the government is doing in the area is interesting. I don’t know what I’m dealing with. – Why didn’t you answer Kristjánsson’s question about ear marking? – Sometimes it is a good idea to earmark funds. But it is also an important principle that the police must have the freedom to prioritize the funds as they think is most effective. In general, I think ear tagging is something we should avoid if we can. – Why didn’t you tell Kristjánsson this? – I have tried to explain how the government works with workplace crime. It would certainly have been possible to formulate it in other ways. – Did you write the answer yourself? – I write all answers that I send to the Storting. The ministry will provide input on the factual basis. – Knowing what the government is doing in the area is interesting. I don’t know what I feel, says Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl (Sp). Photo: Nuno Duarte / news To the criticism about answer-evasion, she says: – What the professor points to, I have a great sense of, actually. It is good to have a discussion about rhetoric and language use. It is important that both politicians and others, as far as possible, try to speak in a way that people understand. She believes that “many politicians have something to go on when it comes to clear language”. – Do you have anything to do there yourself? – Yes, it’s something I work on all the time. Formulating big issues clearly and briefly. Often in one sentence, which fits a news item. Or to a journalist who wants it in a sensational news story. It’s not always that easy, but I try to do my best. – Are you good at making cranberry jam? – I haven’t made that much of it. But I have made some ornamental apple juice. I’m better there. Ornamental apples are bitter and not so good to eat, but they can be used for juice. Which tastes good.
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Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl receives criticism for avoiding answers to the Storting – news Dokumentar
