Norway Criminal and Civil Court Records Check

Norway Criminal & Civil Court Record Check Norway Background Check

Nationwide civil & criminal records check for Norway (Kongeriket Norge) covers available courts, boards and Tribunals of the following.

Norway Supreme Court (Hoyesterett)

Courts of Appeal (Lagmannsrett)

he Borgarting Court of Appeal in Oslo.
The Eidsivating Court of Appeal in Hamar.
The Agder Court of Appeal in Skien.
The Gulating Court of Appeal in Bergen.
The Frostating Court of Appeal in Trondheim.
The Hologaland Court of Appeal in Tromso.

Norway District Courts (Tingrett ) First Instance Courts

Alstahaug tingrett
Alta tingrett
Asker og Borum tingrett
Aust Agder tingrett
Bergen tingrett
Bronnoy tingrett
Dalane tingrett
Drammen tingrett
Eidsvoll tingrett
Eiker, Modum og Sigdal tingrett
Fjordane tingrett
Follo tingrett
Fosen tingrett
Fredrikstad tingrett
Glomdal tingrett
Hadeland og Land tingrett
Halden tingrett
Hallingdal tingrett
Hammerfest tingrett
Hardanger tingrett
Hedmarken tingrett
Heggen og Froland tingrett
Inderoy tingrett
Kongsberg tingrett
Kristiansand tingrett
Larvik tingrett
Lister tingrett
Lofoten tingrett
Moss tingrett
Namdal tingrett
Nedre Romerike tingrett
Nedre Telemark tingrett
Nord-Gudbrandsdal tingrett
Nord-Troms tingrett
Nord-osterdal tingrett
Nordhordland tingrett
Nordmore tingrett
Nordre Vestfold tingrett
Ofoten tingrett
Oslo tingrett
Rana tingrett
Ringerike tingrett
Romsdal tingrett
Salten tingrett
Sandefjord tingrett
Sandnes tingrett
Sarpsborg tingrett
Senja tingrett
Sis-Finnmorkku diggegoddi - Indre Finnmark tingrett
Sogn tingrett
Stavanger tingrett
Stjor- og Verdal tingrett
Sunnhordland tingrett
Sunnmore tingrett
Sor-Gudbrandsdal tingrett
Sor-Trondelag tingrett
Sor-osterdal tingrett
Sore Sunnmore tingrett
Sore Sunnmore tingrett
Toten tingrett
Trondenes tingrett
Trondheim tingrett
Tonsberg tingrett
Valdres tingrett
Vest-Telemark tingrett
Vesterolen tingrett
ost-Finnmark tingrett
ovre Romerike tingrett

Norway Courts Overview:

At the top of the judicial hierarchy is the Supreme Court (Hoyesterett), located in Oslo. Directly below the Supreme Court is the High Court (Lagmannsrett). There are 5 High Courts, each covering a separate but parallel territorial jurisdiction in Eidsivating, Agder, Gulating, Frostating and Hologaland. Below the High Court are the District and City Courts (Herredsrett and Byrett), which function ordinarily as the courts of first instance. There are 98 District and City Courts.

Norway Appointment and Qualification of Judges:

*Number of judges. The Supreme Court is served by a Chief Justice (Justitiarius) and 17 judges. Attached to the High Court are 84 judges (lagdommere), while 238 judges (embetsdommere) and 156 deputy judges (dommerfullmektiger) are employed at the District and City Courts. All judges are appointed by the King in Council upon the recommendation of the Ministry of Justice. To be appointed, judges must be Norwegian citizens, financially solvent, and have achieved high university grades when studying for their law degree. Jurists from all professional backgrounds can be appointed as judges. There is no formal system of promotion through the court hierarchy. Deputy judges tend to be relatively young and often have just graduated law school. (Administration of Justice in Norway, 1980: 89). Lay judges can participate in the hearing of cases. Usually one professional judge and two lay judges hear criminal cases at the District and City Courts. Amendments to the CPA in 1993 have made it possible for more serious cases to be heard at first instance by two professional and three lay judges. Previously, these cases went straight to the High Court for a first instance hearing.

Norway Legal System:

The Norwegian legal system has largely been set up on a national level. The Norwegian system is most similar to the legal systems of the other Nordic countries, particularly those of Denmark and Sweden. Norway does not have a general codification of private or public law corresponding to the Code Civil or Borgerliches Gesetzbuch in civil law countries. It instead has comprehensive statutes codifying, among other things, central aspects of the criminal law and the administration of justice. Norwegian courts do not attach the same weight to judicial precedents as members of the judiciary in common law countries traditionally have done. Neither are Norwegian courts bound by intricate rules concerning the admissibility of evidence; the basic rule is that all evidence is admissible. Court procedure is relatively informal and simple, and there is a strong lay influence in the judicial assessment of criminal matters and, to a lesser extent, civil matters. This lay influence is created through the use of both a jury system and a system whereby lay judges (without formal legal qualifications) sit with professional judges in the hearing of cases.

Norway Judicial and Prosecutorial Process:

Rights of the accused. The rights of the accused are described in the Criminal Procedures Act. The accused must be informed of the nature of the charge(s) brought against him or her upon being arrested and attending court for the first time. The accused must also be given the chance to refute the grounds on which the charge is based. (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect.90,92,171). Although the accused has a general right to attend court proceedings and to summon and examine witnesses, the court can order him or her to leave the courtroom while a witness is being examined "if there is special reason to fear that an unreserved statement will not otherwise be made." The accused must be informed subsequently of the proceedings that occurred in his or her absence. In special circumstances, such as if national security interests are at stake, the accused may be entirely excluded from the proceedings. (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect. 135,245). The court's verdict must be communicated to the accused as soon as possible, along with information on rights of appeal. Court judgements and orders are to be accompanied by reasons. (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect.39-41,43,52). The accused has the right to bring appeals against court verdicts, both on questions of fact and questions of law. There are, however, several limitations on the exercise of this right. For example, appeals to the Supreme Court, which is the highest judicial body, can only take place if permitted by the Court's Appeals Selection Committee. Moreover, the general rule is that such appeals can only be based on alleged errors of law. In other words, the Supreme Court is unable to try questions of evidence related to the issue of guilt. (Administration of Justice in Norway, 1980: 65-66; Criminal Procedures Act, as amended new Chapt 23, Sect. 323, 1993). The accused do not have the right to have their cases tried by jury. As a basic rule, however, appeals from verdicts reached by the court of first instance on cases concerning felonies punishable by more than 6 years' imprisonment are dealt with by the High Court (Lagmannsrett). In these cases, there is a jury (lagrett) present to decide the question of guilt. (Criminal Procedures Act, new Chapt 24, as amended, 1993).

Assistance to the accused. As a general rule, the accused is entitled to the assistance of defense counsel of his or her choice during all stages of the judicial process. The accused is also provided with the free assistance of defense counsel, chosen by the court, during the main court hearing. There are several exceptions to the latter rule, such as if the case involves a certain minor offense, like driving under the influence of alcohol, or when the accused has made an unreserved confession. However, these exceptions apply only in cases tried by the City or District Court. (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect. 94,96,100,107,262).

Norway Judicial Procedures

Preparatory procedures for bringing a suspect to trial. Once a person has been arrested, he or she is brought before the court of examination and summary jurisdiction (forhorsretten). This court decides whether or not the person shall be remanded in custody. The prosecuting authority then prepares a formal indictment (tiltalebeslutning), which it serves on the accused. The indictment contains information on the time, place and object of the coming trial and legal details on the nature of the charge. (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect. 184,184a). When the relevant 1993 amendments to the CPA enter into force, all criminal matters will initially be brought to the District and City Courts. Appeals will be brought before the High Court, though in special circumstances they will be able to go directly to the Supreme Court. Previously, the most serious criminal cases were tried by the High Court at first instance. It was also much easier to bring appeals from decisions reached by the District and City Courts directly before the Supreme Court, bypassing the High Court in the process. (Criminal Procedures Act, new as amended, Sect.5,6,8, 1993).

Official who conducts prosecution. The Public Prosecution Authority is responsible for deciding whether to prosecute and for conducting the prosecution. For very serious felonies, such as murder, the decision to prosecute lies with the Director General of Public Prosecutions. Responsibility for prosecuting most other types of felonies lies with the State attorneys/Public Prosecutors. Police Commissioners and their immediate subordinates are also part of the Public Prosecution Authority and have the power to prosecute more minor cases, which are typically misdemeanors. (Administration of Justice in Norway, 1980: 51-52). On August 27, 1993, a Royal Resolution was issued, extending police prosecution powers to encompass different types of felonies, such as breaking and entering, falsification of documents, larceny, fraud and vandalism. (Criminal Procedures Act, new as amended, cf newly amended, Sect.67, 1993).

Alternatives to trial. Minor offenses can be settled by the police serving a writ prescribing payment of an optional fine (forelegg) upon the accused. This type of writ is usually served in minor traffic and customs offenses. If the fine is paid, there are no further judicial proceedings. If the fine is not paid, the matter can be prosecuted in court using simplified proceedings. For instance, a District Court judge could decide the matter summarily. This simplified court procedure is also employed when an accused person makes an unreserved confession for a crime not punishable by more than 10 years' imprisonment, and the confession is corroborated by evidence. (Criminal Procedures Act, new as amended, Sect. 248, 1993; Kriminalitet og rettsvesen, 1992: 42).

An ordinary court trial can also be avoided: (a) in cases where the prosecuting authority decides not to prosecute, often with the condition that the offender undertakes not to engage in further criminal behavior; (b) in cases involving persons under the age of 18, which are left to be decided by municipal child welfare boards; and (c) in cases which can be settled by arbitration through the Conflict Board.

Pre-trial incarceration conditions. A court of examination and summary jurisdiction (forhorsretten) can decide that an arrested person be remanded in custody if any of the conditions set out in Sections 171, 172 or 173 of the Criminal Procedures Act are fulfilled. Pre-trial incarceration shall be "as short as possible and must not exceed 4 weeks", but it can be extended by up to 4 weeks at a time. (Criminal Procedures Acts, Sect. 184, 185). There is a provision for a person to forgo arrest or be released from custody subsequent to arrest if he or she gives certain guarantees. However, this practice is rarely applied.

Norway Police

There are 5 police regions, among which are 54 police districts. The districts are led by police commissioners (Politimestre), who have as their immediate subordinates, deputy police commissioners (Politiinspektorer), assistant commissioners (Politiadjutanter) and superintendents (Politifullmektiger). Police commissioners and deputy police commissioners are appointed by the King in Council. The other two classes of officials are appointed by the Ministry of Justice and Police. (Kriminalitet og rettsvesen, 1992: 40; Public Prosecution Authorities and Police in Norway, 1992: 4). The police force is administered directly by the Ministry of Justice and Police. It is also subordinate to the Public Prosecution Authority (den offentlige potalemyndighet) with regard to the investigation and prosecution of crimes. The police commissioners and their immediate subordinates form the first instance of the Public Prosecution Authority, which is headed by the Director General of Public Prosecutions (Riksadvokaten). (Administration of Justice in Norway, 1980: 51; Criminal Procedures Act, Sect. 55). The Director General is appointed by, and directly accountable to, the King, independent of the Ministry of Justice. He or she is assisted by 40 Public Prosecutors or State Attorneys (Statsadvokater), 37 of whom are assigned to particular geographical jurisdictions. There are 9 such jurisdictions. In addition, there are 8 Public Prosecutors attached to the recently established Central Unit for the Investigation and Prosecution of Economic and Environmental Crime. All Public Prosecutors or State Attorneys are lawyers and appointed by the King. (Norges Statskalender 1993, 1993: 194-195; Politi og potalemyndighet, 1988: 12-13). In rural areas, police duties are carried out by sheriffs (Lensmenn), each of whom has general administrative authority in relation to a defined district. There are 370 such districts. (Politi og potalemyndighet, 1988: 28). As a police officer, a sheriff is accountable to the local police commissioner. (Police Act, Sect. 6). There are several special units to the police force, all of which are administered centrally. These include the National Bureau of Crime Investigation (Kriminalpolitisentralen - "Kripos"), the Police Security Service (Politiets Overvokingstjeneste), the Police Computing Service (Politiets Datatjeneste), the Police Equipment Service (Politiets Materielltjeneste) and the Mobile Police (Utrykningspolitiet). There is also a small specialist anti-terror squad based in Oslo. (Public Prosecution Authorities and Police in Norway, 1992: 6-7). The functions and tasks of the police are many and varied, ranging from the usual maintenance of law and order, the investigation and prevention of crime, to more specialized administrative tasks, such as immigration control and control of lotteries and gambling. The main rules governing the functions and tasks of the police force are found in the Police Act of 1936 (Lov om politiet 13. mars 1936 nr. 3), the Police Instruction of 1990 (Alminnelig tjenesteinstruks for politiet 22. juni 1990), the Surveillance Instruction of 1977 (Overvokingsinstruks 25. november 1977), the Weapon Instruction of 1989 (Vopeninstruks for politiet 1. august 1989), the Criminal Procedures Act of 1981 and the Prosecution Instruction of 1985. (Forskrift om ordningen av potalemyndigheten 28. juni 1985 nr. 1679). It should be noted that the fundamental right of police to maintain public order is based on customary law and not set down in statute. However, this right was included in a proposal for a new Police Act, drafted in 1991 and submitted to Parliament in 1994. (Odelstingsproposisjon nr. 83, 1992-1993). The police are completely independent of the military forces. In certain emergency situations, such as rescue operations and natural catastrophes, the police can seek the assistance of the military when there are insufficient civilian resources to cope with the situation. In such cases, the military forces are under command of the police and must follow the laws which regulate police actions. (Police Instruction, Chapt. 14).

Weapons. The most common type of weapon with which police arm themselves is a wooden baton. There are 2 main types of guns available for use by ordinary police officers: US carabiners (30 caliber) and Smith & Wesson revolvers (model 10). Machine guns are available to specially selected police units, such as the anti- terror squad. There are light bullet-proof vests for approximately half of the operative police force. They are distributed unequally between the various police districts depending on need. Almost all police officers on patrol in Oslo have bullet-proof vests. There are also approximately 2,000 heavy bullet-proof vests and helmets distributed between the police districts. (Hagen, 1993).

Police Training and qualifications: Persons seeking to be recruited into the police force as ordinary service personnel must be between 21 and 30 years old, have Norwegian citizenship, and be of good health, character and standing. (Police Act, Sect. 13). They must also have completed a 3-year training course run by the National Police Academy (Politihogskolen) in Oslo. This training course involves 1 year of studies at the academy, followed by 1 year of practical training at police stations, and then a year of further study back at the academy. (Politihogskolen, 1993: 8). At present, there are no compulsory postgraduate courses for service personnel, although such courses have existed in the past. Those seeking to be recruited to the upper echelons of the police force, such as the rank of superintendent, must have completed a university degree in law. (Police Act, Sect. 4).

Norway Police Use of force. Section 67 of the Criminal Procedures Act provides the police with general authority to investigate and prosecute cases of crime. It also provides the police with authority to seek court permission to apply certain coercive measures, such as arrest and seizure of property, during the investigation and prosecution process. These coercive measures are described in Chapters 14-17 of the Criminal Procedures Act and amplified in Chapters 8-11 of the Prosecution Instruction of 1985. Rules governing the use of weapons by police are contained in the Weapon Instruction (WI) of 1989 (Vopeninstruks for politiet 1. august 1989). The instruction covers the use of guns, explosives, gas and batons. Batons and gas can only be used in "especially dangerous situations" or when police cannot carry through a task without being subject to a risk of injury. (Weapon Instruction, Sect. 17). Guns shall only be used as a "last option", when: (a) police or others are threatened by weapons or violence and the use of guns seems necessary to prevent the loss of human life or serious injury; or (b) it is necessary to immediately apprehend a person who is suspected of, or charged with, a serious violent offense, including attempts at such offenses, or a person who is otherwise seen as being of special danger to national security, to life or health; or (c) it is necessary to prevent serious damage to foreign property, or when especially important interests of society are threatened. (Weapon Instruction, Sect. 19). Before using weapons, police must consider the danger or risk of injury to which outsiders will be subjected. If circumstances allow, they must initially warn a person that weapons will be used against him or her if he or she does not obey police orders. They must also fire a warning shot. Explosives can only be used in order to gain access to locked or barricaded premises, when the conditions in Section 19 of Weapon Instruction are fulfilled, and upon an order from a police commissioner. (Weapon Instruction, Sect. 20,22). Police on routine patrol do not carry guns. Police commissioners can authorize that handguns be taken by police when patrolling by car. In such cases, the weapons and ammunition must be kept in locked cabinets in the patrol cars. Special police units can carry other types of weapons, if permitted by the Ministry of Justice. Police are allowed, on a case by case basis, to carry guns in certain dangerous situations. (Weapon Instruction, Sect. 5, Sect. 10-11).

Decision to arrest. The major legal requirements that must be met before a person can be arrested by the police are provided in Chapter 14 of the Criminal Procedures Act. Generally, the decision to arrest a person must be made by an official of the Public Prosecuting Authority, which includes the higher-ranking police officials, or a court. An ordinary police officer or private citizen may make an arrest on his or her own initiative if delay "entails any risk." However, these sorts of arrests must subsequently be ratified as soon as possible by the Public Prosecuting Authority. (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect.175,176,179). There are no statistics available on the number of arrests made without a warrant. Whether a person is arrested depends primarily on the type of penalty for the offense he or she is suspected of having committed, along with the risk that he or she will try to evade prosecution and/or commit another crime. Section 171 of the Criminal Procedures Act states that any person who is suspected "with just cause" of committing a felony punishable by more than 6 months' imprisonment may be arrested when: (1) "there is reason to fear that he will evade prosecution or the execution of a sentence or other precautions"; (2) "there is an immediate risk that he will interfere with any evidence in the case..."; (3) "it is deemed necessary in order to prevent him from again committing a criminal act punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding 6 months"; or (4) "he himself requests it for reasons that are found to be satisfactory.[...]." None of these four conditions need to be met in order to arrest a person suspected of a felony punishable by imprisonment of 10 years or more. Such a person may be arrested if he or she confesses to the felony or there are circumstances "that strengthen the suspicion to a marked degree." (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect.171,172). Persons "caught in the act" of committing a crime may be arrested irrespective of the penalty the crime incurs. This is also the case when there is "reason to fear" that a suspect will evade prosecution by fleeing abroad. After being arrested, a person must be brought before a court "as soon as possible and as far as possible on the day following the arrest", so that an order can be issued that the person be remanded in custody. (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect. 173,183-184). It is possible for police to detain a person for up to 4 hours without arresting him or her. This temporary detention can be imposed on persons who "disturb the public peace and order", or who do not comply with a police request to give their name, age and place of residence, or who are found in the vicinity of a place where a felony is "deemed" to have occurred immediately beforehand. Further guidelines on when and how police may detain persons who disturb the public peace and order are provided in Chapt 9 of the Police Instruction. (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect.191).

Norway Police Search and seizure: The police may search a person's premises if that person "is with just cause suspected of any act punishable by law with imprisonment." The police may also conduct a bodily search of such a person "if there is reason to assume that it may lead to the discovery of evidence or of objects that may be seized." Pursuant to Sect. 157 of the Criminal Procedures Act, it is also possible to conduct a physical examination of a suspect during a court inquiry. (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect. 192,195) In certain circumstances, police can search the premises of persons other than the suspect and to conduct bodily searches of these persons. All searches must be made pursuant to a court order, unless the person concerned consents to the search, is "caught in the act" or there is "strong suspicion" of an act punishable by more than 6 months' imprisonment and there is an "immediate risk that the purpose of the search will otherwise be thwarted." Searches should be conducted "as far as possible" in the presence of an independent witness. Upon being arrested, a person may also be searched in order to find and dispossess him or her of anything that may be used for the purpose of violence or escape. (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect. 178,192-195,197,198,199). Any objects "deemed to be significant as evidence" may be seized. Seizure will normally be the result of a written decision of the Public Prosecution Authority or a court, but a police officer can effect a seizure on his or her own initiative "when carrying out a decision to make an arrest or search, and otherwise when delay entails a risk." Any seizure may be challenged in a court. (Criminal Procedures Act, generally Chapter 17, Sect. 203,205,206,208).

Confessions. Police have no authority to order any person, including suspects, to make a statement. However, they can record any statements that are made by the suspect. Suspects must be informed that they are not obliged to make any statement, before they are examined. In addition, persons conducting an examination of a suspect, such as the police, prosecuting authority, and court, must not use "promises, false information, threats or coercion", or "any means that reduce the level of consciousness or ability of the person charged to make up his own mind freely." (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect. 92,230,232). If the suspect admits to having committed a crime, he or she must then be asked whether s/he admits being guilty and liable to a penalty. If an unreserved confession is made, the suspect must be asked whether he or she consents to the case being adjudicated in a court of summary jurisdiction. (Criminal Procedures Act, Sect. 233).

Norway Classification of Crime:

Legal classification. The Penal Code groups criminal offenses into felonies (forbrytelser) and misdemeanors (forseelser). The Criminal Law Commission, set up to draft a new Penal Code, has proposed the distinction between felonies and misdemeanors be eventually dropped from criminal law. (It is important to note that, unless otherwise specified, all legal references in this report are to laws as they existed on September 1, 1993. [Ny straffelov - alminnelige bestemmelser, 1992: 21]). Felonies are, with some exceptions, offenses with a maximum penalty exceeding 3 months' imprisonment. The majority of felonies are defined and listed in Part 2 of the Penal Code, such as perjury, arson, racial discrimination, rape, defaulting on obligation to support dependents, slander and libel, larceny, embezzlement, damaging information and communication systems, murder, blackmail and robbery, fraud and breach of trust. (Penal Code Sect. 2, 163- 165, 167, 148, 135a, 192, 219, 246-248, 257-260, 255-256, 151b, 233, 266-269, 270-278). Misdemeanors are generally minor offenses carrying a maximum penalty of 3 months' imprisonment. Examples of these types of offenses are found in Part 3 of the Penal Code. All breaches of the Road Traffic Act are defined as misdemeanors irrespective of whether or not they carry a maximum penalty of more than 3 months' imprisonment. (Vegtrafikklov 18. juni 1965 nr. 4; Penal Code, Sect. 31).

Age of criminal responsibility. The minimum age at which one can be held criminally liable is 15. (Penal Code, Sect.46; Proposed new Penal Code, Sect. 37).

Drug offenses. Drug offenses are set out in Sections 162 and 162a of the Penal Code and Section 22 and 43 of the Medicinal Goods Act. The drugs covered by these laws are listed in the Narcotics Regulations issued by the Ministry of Social Affairs (Forskrift om narkotika m.v. 30. juni 1978 nr. 8). There are some 250 substances listed; salts and derivatives of the listed substances are also categorized as narcotics.

An ordinary drug offense pursuant to the Penal Code involves the illegal manufacture, introduction, acquisition, storage (as opposed to possession/ besittelse), or transfer of narcotics, and is punished by a fine or imprisonment of up to 2 years. Imprisonment for a serious drug offense (grov narkotikaforbrytelse) can be imposed for a maximum of 10 years. (Lov om legemidler m.v. 20. juni 1964 nr. 5; Penal Code, Sect. 162). Whether or not a drug offense is judged as serious (grov) depends on the type of drug involved, its quantity and the nature of the offense. If the quantity is "very significant", imprisonment will be imposed for a period of 3 to 15 years. In "particularly aggravating circumstances" (soerdeles skjerpende omstendigheter), an offender can be imprisoned for up to 21 years. (Andenaes and Bratholm, 1991: 289-291; Penal Code, Sect. 162). A similar hierarchy of sanctions is provided for those who receive or make a profit from a drug offense or who assist other persons in receiving or making such a profit. A drug offense under the Medicinal Goods Act is defined as the illegal possession or use of narcotics, and the purchasing of narcotics under false pretenses. (Penal Code, Sect. 22, 43, 162a). Note that, prima facie, the laws make no distinction between different kinds of narcotics; marihuana is treated the same as heroin or cocaine. The use of drugs in sport is not encompassed by the above laws

Norway Extradition and Treaties:

Extradition. All of the Nordic countries have enacted national laws giving them mutual extradition rights. (For Norway, see Act of 3 March 1961 on Extradition of Offenders to Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Sweden; for Sweden, see Act of 5 June 1959 on Extradition of Criminal Offenders to Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway; for Denmark, see Act of 3 February 1960 on Extradition of Legal Offenders to Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden; for Finland, see Act of 3 June 1960 on Extradition of Criminal Offenders between Finland and the other Nordic Countries.) Norway also ratified the Council of Europe Convention of December 13, 1957, giving it mutual extradition rights in relation to Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and Turkey. Bilateral extradition treaties have been concluded with Australia (September 9, 1985), Belgium (November 3, 1981), Estonia (April 3, 1930), Latvia (September 12, 1927) and the United States (June 9, 1977).

Exchange and transfer of prisoners. Norwegian citizens or residents can serve prison sentences that were imposed by the courts in other Nordic countries in Norway, pursuant to Section 3 of the Act of 1963 on Enforcement of Penal Sentences Passed in the Nordic States. Citizens of the other Nordic countries are also allowed to serve Norwegian prison sentences in their respective home countries (Sect. 5). There are also corresponding provisions for serving suspended prison sentences (Chapt 3) and for the supervision of persons released on probation (Chapt 4). (Lov om fullbyrding av nordiske dommer po straff m.v. 15. november 1963) Norway ratified the European Convention of May 28, 1970 on the International Validity of Criminal Judgements, and the European Convention of March 21, 1983 on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons. The provisions of these conventions are implemented in the Act of 1991 on Transfer of Sentenced Persons, which entered into force on April 1, 1993. This Act provides a legal basis for prisoner transfer arrangements with those European countries which are party to the above conventions. (Lov om overforing av domfelte 20. juli 1991 nr. 67)

Specified conditions. Conditions for the extradition of foreign nationals from Norway are set out in the Act of 1975 on the Extradition of Offenders (Sect. 26 and 27). This Act does not apply to extradition matters in relation to the Nordic countries, nor does it override international agreements entered into by Norway prior to the Act's entry into force. The Act also provides a legal basis for the extradition of foreigners to countries which have not signed an extradition treaty with Norway.