We use the trial against Anders Behring Breivik as a case. Breivik placed a bomb in Norway’s Government District before he shot and killed 69 people on a small island. We analyze interviews with 31 victims who testified against Breivik in court. We argue that the circumstances of the trial against Breivik can be characterized as “ideal” in terms of victims’ rights. The exceptionality of this case facilitates a focus on unquestioned obstacles to victim participation concerning the professionalization of the legal system. We question the presumption prevalent among some theorists that the professionalization of the legal system excludes lay participation, by arguing that legal formality both alienate and empower lay participation.
Topic:
Violence and abuse
Turning the Witness Stand into a Speaker’s Platform: Victim Participation in the Norwegian Legal System as Exemplified by the Trial Against Anders Behring Breivik
Laugerud, S., & Langballe, Å. (2017). Turning the Witness Stand into a Speaker's Platform: Victim Participation in the Norwegian Legal System as Exemplified by the Trial Against Anders Behring Breivik. Law & society review, 51(2), 227-251. doi:10.1111/lasr.12268
In this article, we investigate how victims pursue legal participation when they are confronted by legal barriers and dilemmas that arise from tensions between legal formality and lay expectations and contributions of legal proceedings.
The Project
This publication is a result of The terror attack: Experience and reactions among Utøya survivors The project manager for this project is Dr. Grete Dyb (PI) and Dr. Synne Stensland is the co- Principle Investigator (PI)., The terror attack 22 th of July. The impact of the subsequent legal proceedings on the mental health of the Utøya survivors