Government's Legislative Proposal

The plan's crucial commitment is to protect a justice system built on legal security, where the principle of being considered innocent until proven guilty is fundamental and legal security is maintained through legal aid and transparency. Anonymous witnesses cut into the accused's opportunity for full transparency and effective defense, and the plan warns against repression being presented as a solution instead of addressing problems seriously. The objection to the system therefore aligns with the plan.

• presumption of innocencedecisive»anses oskyldiga tills motsatsen är bevisad är grundläggande i det.« (party programme ↗)“are presumed innocent unless proven guilty is fundamental in it.”
• legal security and transparency»Rättssäkerheten behöver upprätthållas genom rättshjälp, medborgerlig« (party programme ↗)“Legal security needs to be upheld through legal aid, citizen”
• against repression as main approach»Alltför ofta lyfts repression och hårdare tag upp som lösningar istället för att ta itu med problemen på allvar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Too often repression and tougher approaches are lifted up as solutions instead of seriously tackling the problems.”
• protect legally secure justice system»Utvecklingen av ett rättsväsende byggt på rättssäkerhet är viktig« (party programme ↗)“The development of a justice system built on legal security is important”

The election manifesto demands that the fight against crime be uncompromising, that society's full strength be mobilised against criminal gangs and that the police be given more tools. Rejecting a system with anonymous witnesses, which is intended to break the code of silence in gang environments, goes against that line. The plan's requirements for equality before the law and legal certainty are a counterweight but carry less weight than the manifesto's explicit commitment.

• society's full strength against gangsdecisive»Samhällets fulla kraft ska mobiliseras för att trycka tillbaka de kriminella, kapa återväxten in i kriminaliteten och öka tryggheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society's full strength shall be mobilised to push back the criminals, cut the flow back into crime and increase security.”
• more tools against crime»Polisen behöver också fler verktyg, som bättre möjligheter till avlyssning och husrannsakan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The police also need more tools, such as better opportunities for wiretapping and house searches.”
• uncompromising crime-fighting»Kampen mot kriminaliteten ska vara kompromisslös.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The fight against crime shall be uncompromising.”
• legal certainty in justice»beakta allas likhet inför lagen och iaktta saklighet och opartiskhet.« (party programme ↗)“consider equality before the law for all and observe objectivity and impartiality.”

The plan establishes that crime and terrorism prevention is important but should not be done at the expense of human rights, that legal certainty should be ensured and that there should be good transparency in all judicial proceedings. Against gang crime, the plan prioritizes preventive work. The objection to introducing anonymous witnesses, which limits the accused's transparency and defence, is therefore supported.

• rights before crime preventiondecisive»viktigt men ska inte ske på bekostnad av mänskliga« (party programme ↗)“important but should not be done at the expense of human”
• legal certainty should be ensured»Rättssäkerheten ska tryggas samtidigt som de« (party programme ↗)“Legal certainty should be ensured while”
• transparency in judicial proceedings»Det ska finnas god medborgerlig insyn i all« (party programme ↗)“There should be good public transparency in all”
• prevention before repression»storsatsa på det förebyggande arbetet i socioekonomiskt eftersatta områden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“invest heavily in preventive work in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas.”

The plan explicitly says no to anonymous witnesses, as part of defending the rule of law and the individual's rights against the state. The counter-proposal demands that a system with anonymous witnesses not be introduced, citing the accused's transparency and defence. The plan's commitments to courts' independence and to all's right to get their case examined strengthen the same conclusion.

• no to anonymous witnessesdecisive»Rättsstaten och individens rättigheter gentemot staten måste försvaras. Vi säger därför nej till visitationszoner, kollektiv bestraffning, omvänd bevisbörda, anonyma vittnen, preventiv avlyssning och inskränkningar av religionsfriheten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The rule of law and the individual's rights against the state must be defended. We therefore say no to search zones, collective punishment, reversed burden of proof, anonymous witnesses, preventive wiretapping and restrictions on freedom of religion.”
• strong and independent courts»Våra demokratiska institutioner behöver skydd. Vi vill göra det svårare att ändra grundlagen, skydda oppositionens ställning i riksdagen och stärka domstolarnas oberoende.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our democratic institutions need protection. We want to make it harder to change the constitution, protect the opposition's position in the Riksdag and strengthen courts' independence.”
• legally secure examination»Alla som bor i Sverige ska kunna få sin sak prövad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“All living in Sweden shall be able to get their case examined.”
• enforceable rights»Vi vill se en rättighetslagstiftning, ett tydligt samhällskontrakt med utkrävbara rättigheter.« (party programme ↗)“We want to see rights legislation, a clear social contract with enforceable rights.”

The election manifesto's security chapter is based on the unacceptably low rate of gang violence being solved and the justice system needing more tools for more gang criminals to be convicted, which speaks in favour of a system with anonymous witnesses who can break the culture of silence. The objection that the system is not the right way is therefore not supported by the plan. The party programme's requirement that the accused is able to examine the evidence with legal certainty does, however, set a limit for how the system may be designed.

• unacceptably low clearance ratedecisive»Bara vart fjärde gängmord och var sjunde skjutning leder i dag till fällande domar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Only one in four gang murders and one in seven shootings currently lead to convictions.”
• more tools against gangs»Ge polisen fler verktyg och vapen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Give the police more tools and weapons.”
• effective witness protection»Vittnen ska ha rätt till ett effektivt skydd« (party programme ↗)“Witnesses should have the right to effective protection”
• legal certainty as limit»Rättssäkerheten och skyddet för de medborgerliga fri- och rättigheterna behöver förstärkas.« (party programme ↗)“Legal certainty and protection of civil liberties and rights need to be strengthened.”

The election manifesto contains an explicit commitment to introduce anonymous witnesses, on the grounds that the system exists in several other countries and has contributed to more convictions. The plan also describes that people in vulnerable areas do not dare to testify. The objection that anonymous witnesses are not the right way thus directly contradicts the plan's commitment.

• introduce anonymous witnessesdecisive»Inför anonyma vittnen. Det finns i flera andra länder och har bidragit till fler fällande domar.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce anonymous witnesses. It exists in several other countries and has contributed to more convictions.”
• break the culture of silence»Människor vågar inte vittna och knarkhandel sker öppet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“People dare not testify and drug trafficking happens openly.”
• strengthened justice system»Hela rättsväsendet behöver byggas ut. Fler poliser kräver fler åklagare, domstolar på fler platser i landet och en kraftigt utbyggd kriminalvård.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The entire justice system needs to be expanded. More police require more prosecutors, courts in more places in the country and a greatly expanded criminal justice system.”
• effective crime control»kan förlita sig på att en effektiv brottsbekämpning och« (party programme ↗)“can rely on effective crime control and”

The plan explicitly requires that anonymous witnesses be allowed so that more dare to testify, and describes the silence in vulnerable areas where people do not dare to testify as a central obstacle to stopping gang violence. The counter-proposal wishes to reject such a system entirely. This stands in direct conflict with the plan's commitment, although the plan simultaneously requires a fair justice system. Therefore, the plan rejects the demand.

• anonymous witnessesdecisive»Tillåta anonyma vittnen så att fler vågar vittna« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Allow anonymous witnesses so that more dare to testify”
• break the silence»Samtidigt breder en tystnadskultur ut sig i de utsatta områdena där gängen styr. Människor vågar inte vittna.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time, a culture of silence is spreading in vulnerable areas where gangs rule. People do not dare to testify.”
• protect witnesses»Stärka skyddet för vittnen och brottsoffer« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen protection for witnesses and crime victims”
• due process as counterbalance»Sverige ska ha ett rättsväsende präglat av rättssäkerhet« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall have a justice system characterised by due process”

The plan points to the culture of silence as one of the factors that feeds gang violence and states that few political measures are too far-reaching to push back gangs, and that procedural barriers to increased prosecution shall be removed. The counter-proposal, on the other hand, wants to stop the system of anonymous witnesses. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's demands.

• break the culture of silencedecisive»Gängvåldet tar stora samhällsresurser i anspråk och göds av tystnadskultur, utbredd missaktning mot det svenska samhället och parallellkultur som tillåtits få fästa genom en allt för tolererande integrationspolitik.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Gang violence consumes large societal resources and is fed by a culture of silence, widespread contempt for Swedish society and parallel culture that has been allowed to take root through an overly tolerant integration policy.”
• remove procedural barriers»Processuella hinder för att möjliggöra en ökad lagföring måste också undanröjas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Procedural barriers to enable increased prosecution must also be removed.”
• uncompromising stance against gangs»Sverigedemokraterna anser att få politiska åtgärder är för långtgående när det kommer till att pressa tillbaka både de kriminella gängen och den kultur som gör att de får fäste.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats believe that few political measures are too far-reaching when it comes to pushing back both criminal gangs and the culture that allows them to take hold.”
• more effective tools against gang crime»Framförallt behöver rättsväsendet få mer effektiva verktyg för att bekämpa gängbrott.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Above all, the justice system needs more effective tools to combat gang crime.”