Swedish Prosecution Authority


The Swedish Prosecution Authority is the principal agency in Sweden responsible for public prosecutions. It is a wholly independent organisation; not dependent on the courts or the police, and although it is organized under the Ministry of Justice it operates independently and any ministerial interference in cases is unconstitutional. It is headed by the Prosecutor-General of Sweden.

History

The Swedish prosecution service looks like it does today after a major reform in 1965. Prior to this, the police and prosecution was organized under the same roof. Today, the Swedish police, the courts and the prosecution service are clearly defined, separate entities. In 1996, there was another major overhaul of the organization, merging smaller local authorities into six regional public prosecutors, all under an attorney general. In 2005, these six regional authorities merged into a single agency, creating the Swedish Prosecution Authority.

Criticism

Current prosecutor-general, Petra Lundh, has been accused of favouritism after it was discovered that she had accommodated the hiring of old colleagues after she was appointed.