Research project Theory and Policy – Swedish Criminal Law in Transformation

Swedish criminal law and policy has recently entered a stage of transformation. Matters concerning law and order is for instance a prioritised policy area for the government and the political opposition and when voters are asked to name the most important political questions, law and order is listed among the top present topics. Further, questions relating to law and order receive a different kind of media attention – at least if compared to the attention given ten years prior. These factors – and many more! – have undoubtedly resulted in an accelerated reform agenda, illustrated by for instance the introduction of new offences, stricter penalties (in general and for certain offences) and an increased response from politicians in regard to e.g. certain crimes. Therefore, the main purpose of this project (written in Swedish) is to analyse and discuss the current Swedish criminal law and policy discourse.

The project includes twelve criminal law researchers, all quite early on in their careers (some have received their PhD, some are PhD students). Each researcher has chosen to explore a theme that connects to the title of the project (Theory and Policy – Swedish Criminal Law in Transformation). Hence, each individual text produced by the individual researchers is an illustration of the current transformation of the Swedish law and policy discourse. However, when one reads the individual texts several reoccurring themes can be discovered: developments in the current Swedish criminal law and policy discourse, this development’s relation to criminal law theory, the role of criminal law science in this development, the relationship between theory, policy and legal dogmatics, the premises of criminal law theory in a transforming political landscape. By observing, discussing and analysing these reoccurring themes, the project thereby paints a picture of the developments of the Swedish law and policy discourse in the 2020s.