Norway’s backlog of 17,000 criminal cases awaits prosecutors

Norway is facing a deepening crisis in its criminal justice system, with 17,000 completed investigations stuck in limbo waiting for a prosecutor, Dagbladet reports.

Veteran defence lawyer Paal Berg Helland, a former state prosecutor with 30 years of experience, told the newspaper the delays are crippling. “It’s an ongoing crisis. I’m so frustrated. Everything moves incredibly slowly,” he said.

Helland, who handles both defence and victim support in serious cases such as homicide, drug offences, and sexual assault, described clients waiting years for resolution. Evidence submissions to forensic units and the national criminal investigation service (Kripos) face prolonged delays, he said, and cases often stall after an initial push. “Resources are allocated at the start, then it just stops. We’re talking about prioritised tasks.”

In some sexual offence cases, he has seen nearly four years pass without a decision. High turnover among police investigators—lured away by better pay—compounds the problem, as new officers must repeatedly familiarise themselves with complex files. “It’s hugely frustrating,” Helland said.

He criticised the slow scheduling of court dates and the lack of real increase in investigative or legal staff, despite Justice Ministry funding. “The entire criminal justice chain is affected. Where is the legal certainty for victims? And for the accused?”

John Christian Elden, another prominent defence lawyer, estimated that nearly half of his Supreme Court cases have been flagged for excessive delays or human rights violations due to protracted processing. He blamed the absence of statutory time limits for police investigations and the courts’ inability to intervene mid-process. A penal procedure committee had proposed such deadlines, including the power for courts to dismiss cases for excessive delay, but the ministry declined to implement them, citing cost concerns.

Marianne Børseth Steensby, head of the Norwegian Police Prosecutors’ Association, confirmed that 17,000 cases were awaiting prosecutorial review at the turn of the year, on top of daily new reports. With only 1,100 prosecutors handling 350,000 cases reported in 2025, the workload is unsustainable, she said. Police also lack the budget to adopt AI tools to ease the burden.

Unn Alma Skatvold, leader of the Police Federation, previously told Dagbladet the issue stems from a shortage of investigators, a rise in serious and complex cases, and increasing demands for interviews and technical evidence. She added that police need digital upgrades amid record resignation rates.