Judges' Competence

The plan explicitly requires increased knowledge within the legal system about violence against women and children and that the child perspective is strengthened in custody disputes. A binding competence requirement for judges handling cases about custody, residence and contact is exactly such a measure, and voluntary training that proceeds too slowly is insufficient according to the plan's ambition. The plan also emphasizes that work against patriarchal violence must build on understanding the power patterns of violence.

• increased legal system knowledgedecisive»ökad kunskap inom rättsväsendet om samtycke och om våld mot kvinnor och barn« (2022 manifesto ↗)“increased knowledge within the legal system about consent and about violence against women and children”
• strengthened child perspective in custody disputes»Barnperspektivet måste stärkas i vårdnadstvister och det ska inte vara möjligt för våldsutövare att behålla gemensam vårdnad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The child perspective must be strengthened in custody disputes and it should not be possible for perpetrators to retain joint custody.”
• understanding violence patterns»Arbetet mot det patriarkala våldet behöver bygga på en förståelse för« (party programme ↗)“Work against patriarchal violence needs to build on an understanding of”
• prioritize work against violence»våld mot kvinnor behöver börja prioriteras på ett sätt som motsvarar« (party programme ↗)“violence against women needs to begin being prioritized in a way that corresponds to”

The party programme establishes children's right to a secure upbringing according to the Convention on the Rights of the Child and to equal conditions, and the election manifesto promises measures against violence in close relationships. A minimum requirement that judges in custody matters have knowledge of children's development and reactions to violence follows from this, since lack of competence would otherwise harm individual children. The plan also gives the state responsibility for competence supply.

• the Convention governsdecisive»Alla barn ska ha rätt till en trygg uppväxt i enlighet med FN:s barnkonvention.« (party programme ↗)“All children shall have the right to a secure upbringing in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”
• equal conditions for children»Alla barn och ungdomar ska ha rätt till likvärdiga villkor« (party programme ↗)“All children and young people shall have the right to equal conditions”
• against violence in close relationships»Krafttag för att stoppa hedersrelaterat våld, sexualbrott och mäns våld mot kvinnor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Measures to stop honour-related violence, sexual crimes and men's violence against women.”
• state responsibility for competence»Staten har ett ansvar för att säkra kompetensförsörjningen, inte minst i välfärden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The state has a responsibility to secure competence supply, not least in welfare.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan commits to protecting children from being forced into contact with a violent parent and states that the child's right to safety outweighs violent parents' right to their children. The child's legal certainty shall be strengthened in cases of suspected violence, and society's institutions shall have tools against violence. A competence requirement for judges in custody cases regarding children's reactions to violence follows from these commitments.

• protection against contact with violent parentdecisive»skydda barn från att tvingas till umgänge med en våldsam förälder.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect children from being forced into contact with a violent parent.”
• child's safety outweighs most»I vårt Sverige väger barns rätt till trygghet tyngre än våldsamma föräldrars rätt till sina barn.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“In our Sweden the child's right to safety outweighs violent parents' right to their children.”
• strengthened legal certainty for children»Barnets rättstrygghet måste stärkas om det« (party programme ↗)“The child's legal certainty must be strengthened if”
• institutions with tools against violence»beredskap och verktyg för att motverka patriarkalt« (party programme ↗)“readiness and tools to counteract patriarchal”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan requires that professional groups who work with children are trained so that violence and oppression can be detected faster, and that children's rights and perspective are put first in all of society's functions. A competence requirement for judges who decide custody, residence and access cases is the same commitment applied to the court. The plan's protection of the independence of the courts is a qualification, but concerns the form rather than the requirement for competence.

• training requirements for professional groupsdecisive»Skolpersonal och vårdpersonal bör utbildas och nationell frånvarostatistik införas för att snabbare kunna upptäcka hedersvåld.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“School and care staff should be trained and national absence statistics introduced to more quickly detect honour-based violence.”
• the child's perspective first»Samhällets aktörer ska inta individens perspektiv. Av största betydelse är då barnens rättigheter och perspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“Society's actors shall take the individual's perspective. Of utmost importance is then the rights and perspective of children.”
• protection for every child»Särskilt viktigt är att värna varje barns rätt att bli respekterad och att bli sedd för den man är.« (party programme ↗)“Particularly important is protecting each child's right to be respected and to be seen for who they are.”
• independence of the courts»Vi vill göra det svårare att ändra grundlagen, skydda oppositionens ställning i riksdagen och stärka domstolarnas oberoende.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to make it harder to change the constitution, protect the opposition's position in parliament and strengthen the independence of the courts.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The party programme requires that those participating in interviews with or of children have special training, and the election manifesto wants knowledge among professionals about violence and oppression to increase. A competency requirement for judges deciding cases on custody, residence and visiting rights follows from the same commitment, because lack of knowledge otherwise harms children in violence cases. That the requirement shall be enshrined in law is not addressed in the plan, so the coverage is derived.

• special competence on childrendecisive»De som medverkar i förhör av eller med barn ska ha särskild utbildning.« (party programme ↗)“Those who participate in interviews with or of children shall have special training.”
• increased professional knowledge»stöden till offren byggas ut, kunskapen hos yrkesverksamma öka« (2022 manifesto ↗)“support for victims be expanded, knowledge among professionals increase”
• action against violence»Vi vill se en ökad handlingskraft mot sexuellt våld och våld mot kvinnor genom bland annat högre straff för sexualbrott och ett bättre skydd och stöd för offren.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to see increased action against sexual violence and violence against women through, among other things, increased penalties for sexual offences and better protection and support for victims.”
• children's rights in the process»Barn och ungdomar har rätt att respekteras som individer och i takt med åldern få ta ett ökande« (party programme ↗)“Children and young people have the right to be respected as individuals and increasingly take part”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan establishes that effective handling of cases involving violence in close relationships presupposes well-trained staff in the relevant authorities, and that the child's best interests shall come first. Children have the right to a safe growing-up environment. A competence requirement on children's development and reactions to violence for judges in custody cases therefore follows from the plan, although the plan also protects the independence of the courts.

• competence in cases of violencedecisive»Effektiv handläggning av ärenden som rör våld i nära relationer förutsätter välutbildade medarbetare hos polis,« (party programme ↗)“Effective handling of cases involving violence in close relationships presupposes well-trained staff at the police,”
• the child's best interests first»barnets bästa ska komma i främsta rummet.« (party programme ↗)“the child's best interests shall come first.”
• safe upbringing»Barn har rätt till en trygg uppväxtmiljö.« (party programme ↗)“Children have the right to a safe growing-up environment.”
• the independence of the courts»bete. Domstolarna ska stå fria och oberoende från« (party programme ↗)“conduct. The courts shall remain free and independent from”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The counter-proposal wants to legislate a competence requirement for judges handling custody cases. The plan's line is that the independence of the courts shall be strengthened and that the court system itself shall have the ability to rule justly, which argues against politically determined qualification requirements for individual judges. The plan at the same time requires that violence against women and children be combated with great determination, but places that specialization with the police rather than with the courts. The conclusion is therefore a rejection, with low confidence.

• court independencedecisive»Stärka domstolarnas oberoende och skyddet för medborgarnas fri- och rättigheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the independence of the courts and the protection of citizens' freedoms and rights”
• just judgment»med ett oberoende domstolsväsende som har förmågan att döma rättssäkert« (party programme ↗)“with an independent court system that has the ability to rule justly”
• specialization in police»Införa särskilda grupper i varje polisregion som är specialiserade på sexualbrott och våld i nära relation för att fler anmälda brott ska leda till lagföring och straff« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce specialized groups in each police region specialized in sexual crimes and violence in close relationships so that more reported crimes lead to prosecution and punishment”
• violence against children combated»Det våld som inte minst riktas mot kvinnor och barn ska bekämpas med stor bestämdhet och tydliga konsekvenser.« (party programme ↗)“Violence that is directed especially against women and children shall be combated with great determination and clear consequences.”

The plan explicitly requires capacity-building measures for all who work with children, young people and family law matters and that investigations concerning children shall be quality-assured and legally secure. A competence requirement for judges ruling in cases concerning custody, residence and access is a direct application of that commitment. The plan's principle that the best interests of the child shall always be considered points in the same direction.

• competence requirements in family lawdecisive»Det behövs också kunskapshöjande åtgärder för alla som arbetar med barn och unga och familjerättsliga frågor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Capacity-building measures are also needed for all who work with children, young people and family law matters.”
• quality-assured child investigations»Utredningar rörande barn ska vara kvalitetssäkrade och rättssäkra.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Investigations concerning children shall be quality-assured and legally secure.”
• legal security for children»Öka kvalité och rättssäkerhet i utredningar om barn« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase quality and legal security in investigations concerning children.”
• the best interests of the child»Att barnets bästa alltid ska beaktas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That the best interests of the child shall always be considered.”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.