Iris Nguyên-Duy, Dept. Of Public and International law

Introduction to the Norwegian Legal System(Autumn 2011)

Outline of the lectures in constitutional law

• Lecture 1 (15.9): The Main Characteristics of the Norwegian System of Government

• Lecture 2 (22.9): Norway and European Integration – A Constitutional Perspective

• Lecture 3 (29.9): The Judiciary and Judicial Review

• Lecture 4 (13.10): The protection of human rights in Norwegian law.

The Main Characteristics of the Norwegian System of Government

I. The separation of powers in Norway (summary)

II. The Parliament

III. The Executive

IV. Parliamentarism in Norway

V. Other aspects of the relationship between Parliament and Government

I. The separation of powers

II. The Parliament

1. Elections

2. Composition and organisation

3. Functions

4. Procedures

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43625496@N00/76285775/ by slugrubug

II. The Parliament1. Elections

Mandatfordeling_stortingsvalget_2009.svg (wiki, røed)

169 MPs(since 2005)

Political parties (2009)

1.Labour Party [AP] (64)2.Progress Party [FrP] (41)3.Conservative Party [Høyre] (30)4.Socialist Left Party [SV] (11)5.Center Party [Sp] (11)6.Christian Democratic Party [KrF] (10)7.Liberal Party [V] (2)

II. The Parliament1. Elections

Source: Wikipedia; Authors: Júlio Reis and João David Tereso

II. The Parliament2. Composition and organisation

a. Monocamerism: From two Chambers to one

b. The organisation of the Storting• The Presidium

• The Standing Committees (12)

• Other committees (4)

• The administration of the Storting

• Parliamentary Party Groups

II. The Parliament2. Composition and organisation

The Standing Committees• Business and Industry - Aasland, TerjeTerje Aasland, Labour

• Education, Research and Church Affairs - Aasen, MarianneMarianne Aasen, Labour

• Energy and the Environment - Sande, ErlingErling Sande, Centre

• Family and Cultural Affairs - Gjul, Gunn KarinGunn Karin Gjul, Labour

• Finance and Economic Affairs - Micaelsen, TorgeirTorgeir Micaelsen, Labour

• Foreign Affairs and Defence - Søreide, Ine Marie EriksenIne Marie Eriksen Søreide, Conservative

• Health and Care Services - Høie, BentBent Høie, Conservative

• Justice - Sandberg, PerPer Sandberg, Progress

• Labour and Social Affairs - Eriksson, Robert- Robert Eriksson, Progress

• Local Government and Public Administration - Holmås, Heikki- Heikki Holmås Socialist, Left

• Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs - Anundsen, Anders- Anders Anundsen, Progress

• Transport and Communications - Hareide, Knut Arild- Knut Arild Hareide, Christian Democratic

II. The Parliament2. Composition and organisation

• The Enlarged Committee on Foreign Affairs consists of members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, the presidium and the parliamentary leaders. The committee discusses important issues related to foreign affairs, trade policy and national safety with the government. Discussions are confidential.

• The European Committee consists of the members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence and the parliamentary delegation to the European Economic Area (EEA) and the European Free Trade Area (EFTA). The committee conducts discussions with the government regarding directives from the European Union.

• The Election Committee consists of 37 members, and is responsible for internal elections within the parliament, as well as delegating and negotiating party and representative allocation within the presidium, standing committees and other committees.

• The Preparatory Credentials Committee has 16 members and is responsible for approving the election.

II. The Parliament3. Functions

The parliament has three main functions or powers:– The legislative power

– The budgetary power

– The supervisory (control) power

Parliamentary delegations established by the Storting:• The Delegation for Arctic Cooperation

• The Delegation for Relations with the European Parliament

• The Delegation to EFTA and EEA Parliamentary Committees

• The Delegation to the Assembly of the Western European Union

• The Delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union

• The Delegation to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly

• The Delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly

• The Norwegian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

• The Storting's Delegation to the Nordic Council

II. The Parliament4. Procedures

THE LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURE

1. The initiative stage

2. The proposition to the Storting (Bill)

3. The committee stage

4. Consideration in plenary session1. First reading of the Bill

2. Second reading of the Bill

3. Eventual third reading of the Bill

5. The intervention of the King in Council

II. The Parliament – The legislative procedure (stortinget.no)

II. The Parliament4. Procedures – The vote of the budget

1. The Government’s proposition

2. Party work on the fiscal budget

3. The Presidium’s task

4. The Budget Recommendation of the Standing Committee on Finance

5. The annual budget debate in the Storting and the vote of the Storting’s Resolution on budget ceilings

6. Work in standing committees

7. Debate and vote in the Storting of the final budget resolution

III. The Executive

1. The “Executive”: The King and the Cabinet (Kongen og regjeringen)

a. The King – The Head of State

b. The Cabinet / the Government

2. The administration (forvaltningen)

a. The central administration

b. The regional administration

3. A short overview of the “upstream” and “downstream” functions of the Executive

a. “Upstream” functions

b. “Downstream” functions

c. Royal Prerogatives (kongelige prerogativer)

III. The Executive

1. The King

King Harald V

Source: http://www.kongehuset.no/aim/kongehuset/16/54/storage/file.image.jpg/Scale?geometry=372%3Ex454%3E

III: The Executive - 2. The Government

Government Stoltenberg II

Source: http://www.regjeringen.no/upload/SMK/Portrettbilde/regjeringen/Regjeringen-p%C3%A5-Slottsplassen-20.10.09_540x270_fotoScanpix.jpg

III. The Executive – The Government

A. Composition

B. The Norwegian Council of State – The ”King in Council”

C. Government conferences

D. Documents published by the Government or the Ministries• Draft resolutions and bills (Prop.)

• White papers (Meld.St.)

• [Acts and] regulations (forskrift)

• Circular (rundskriv)

• Norwegian Official Reports (NOU)

• Reports and plans

• Guidelines and brochures

III. The Executive

A. The ”upstream” functions

B. The ”downstream” functions

C. The royal prerogativesWe can distinguish between:

• Political prerogatives: articles 12, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26 of the Constitution

• Personal prerogatives: articles 23, 24, 36 of the Constitution.

IV. Parliamentarism in Norway

1. Negative parliamentarism in Norway

a. Positive parliamentarism

b. Negative parliamentarism

c. Contract parliamentarism

d. Minority parliamentarism

e. Majority parliamentarism

2. The main characteristics of Norwegian parliamentarism before and after 2007/2009

3. Consequences

V. Other aspects of the relationship between Parliament and Government

1. Parliamentary control or supervision of the Executive: Other kinds of controla. Debates

b. Questions and interpellations (spørsmål og interpellasjoner)

c. The Committee on Scrutiny and Constitutional Affairs, and other Standing Committees

d. The Office of the Auditor General (Riksrevisjonen)

e. The Parliamentary Ombudsman (Stortingets ombudsmann or sivilombudsmann)

f. Review of treaties and cooperation agreements

g. Riksretten [ See Lecture 3.]

2. Delegated legislation