Lay judge: Difference between revisions

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Revision as of 11:18, 10 June 2024

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[[Municipal assembly (Sweden)|Municipal assemblies]] appoint lay judges for the district courts and the [[County Councils of Sweden|county councils]] appoint lay judges for the appellate and county administrative courts.{{sfn|Terrill|2009|pp=248–249}} They are appointed for a period of 4 years, and may not refuse appointment without valid excuse such as an age of 60 years.{{sfn|Terrill|2009|pp=248–249}} Typically, a lay judge will serve one day per month in court during his or her tenure.

In principle, any adult can become a lay judge.{{sfn|Malsch|2009|p=48}} Lay judges must be Swedish citizens and underover 7018 years old.{{sfn|Terrill|2009|pp=248–249}} People that cannot be lay judges are judges, [[officer of the court|court officers]], prosecutors, police, attorneys, and professionals engaged in judicial proceedings.{{sfn|Terrill|2009|pp=248–249}} In practice, lay judges in Sweden are elderly, wealthy, and better-educated.{{sfn|Malsch|2009|p=48}} Lay judges are usually [[politician]]s with the local authority from which they are appointed, appointed in proportion to political party representation at the last local elections.{{sfn|Bell|2004|pp=299–300}}{{sfn|Bell|2004|p=306}}

The use of lay judges in Sweden goes back to the Middle Ages.