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full screen The Judicial Ombudsman (JO) criticizes Värmland’s district court. Archive image. Photo: Jessica Gow/TT
Two years and three months. That’s how long it took for Värmland district court to decide a custody case. Now the Ombudsman for Justice (JO) is firing back harsh criticism.
“Such a processing time is of course not acceptable in a case of the present type,” writes chief JO Erik Nymansson in the decision according to the trade union newspaper Publikt.
He finds that six main hearings have been cancelled, and that five of the times it was due to oversights or “almost pure carelessness” on the part of the district court.
“This is of course remarkable and conveys an image that the district court lacks functioning routines and adequate resources for its case management,” writes JO.
Nymansson emphasizes that those involved have the right to expect a more thoughtful handling.
“In the long run, it may entail a risk of the public’s trust in the judicial system being damaged. Overall, I am very critical of the way the district court has handled the case,” he writes.