Open AccessUnødig lang sagsbehandlingstid i danske straffesager:
Author(s) -
Kasper Jørgensen,
Annette Olesen
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
nordisk tidsskrift for kriminalvidenskab
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2446-3051
pISSN - 0029-1528
DOI - 10.7146/ntfk.v108i1.125575
Subject(s) - conviction , law , criminal conviction , economic justice , criminal justice , political science , criminal trial , perspective (graphical) , danish , criminology , psychology , art , philosophy , visual arts , linguistics
For many years the Danish criminal justice system has been criticized for its drawn out handling of criminal cases – which is not only problematicfor the victim’s sense of justice, but is also a violation of the defendant’s civil rights. It is nevertheless surprising how little we know about the implications for those who are forced to wait an unreasonably long time for trial, especially for those who are not remanded into custody. This article uses a socio-legal perspective to explore the time before conviction for defendants who must continue to live their everyday lives while awaiting decisions. Based on interviews (n=45) and judicial decisions we show that the interviewees awaiting their trial are trapped in a powerless position and are unable to take positive steps forward in their lives. Furthermore, the article shows that experiencing a drawn-out trial date has a negative influence on these citizens’ attachment to society even before their conviction by exposing them to social barriers similar to those faced by ex-convicts who have already served their time.