On 12 December, Parliament passed its first abortion law changes since 1978. The legislation extends the legal period for self-determined abortion from 12 to 18 weeks of pregnancy. New tribunals will assess applications for people seeking abortions after 18 weeks, which must be composed of a majority of female medical and legal experts. The amendments ensure the right to follow-up care after a self-determined abortion or miscarriage. They also include provisions to strengthen the right of minors and people with disabilities to a self-determined abortion, as well as the right to information and guidance, and prohibit abortion through force or coercion. In 2019, UN experts expressed concern that people with disabilities are subjected to involuntary abortion. The changes are based on recommendations set out by the Abortion Committee, a public committee of healthcare professionals, lawyers and academics, in a December 2023 report. The amendments enter into force on 1 June 2025.

Sources: NRK, Regjeringen (1), Regjeringen (2), Jurist, Abortutvalget, VG, UN, Women’s Rights Association (NKF) 

On 12 November, the Parliament requested the government to enact a package of measures to promote reconciliation after its past “Norwegianisation” policy, which forced the assimilation of Sami, Forest Finns and Kven populations. The measures include a national initiative for language courses, training for public servants on Indigenous rights and culture, the creation of a competence centre to research and document the policy’s injustices, and stronger protection of Kven and Forest Finnish heritage. Starting in 2027, the government must report on its work for Indigenous people and national minorities each parliamentary term. The Parliament expressed “deepest regret” for abuses under the policy and its consequences with 86 votes to 11, with members of the right-wing Progress party voting against it. A 2023 Truth and Reconciliation Commission report recommended the Parliament acknowledge its role. The President of the Sami Parliament of Norway welcomed the apology.  

Sources: Stortinget, International IDEA, The Guardian, Polar Journal, NRK, Sametinget 

On 21 May, Parliament unanimously approved constitutional amendments to improve constitutional protection for the functioning and independence of courts and judges, with 168 votes in favour out of a total 169 seats (one abstention). The amendments are based on recommendations from the Courts Commission, appointed in 2017 under the Ministry of Justice to identify areas where the courts could be vulnerable to abuses of power. The Constitution previously guaranteed the principle of independence of the courts, but the government argues that the judiciary requires further protection against ‘rapid legislative changes from a narrow political majority.’ The amendments enshrine in the Constitution the court hierarchy, particularly to fill a gap in constitutional protections for lower courts; protect the appointment process for judges, particularly the government’s duty, set out in the Courts Act, to obtain a recommendation from an independent council (the Judicial Appointments Board) when appointing judges to guard against political influence; and improve protections for judges from arbitrary transfer or termination.

Sources: Stortinget (1), Stortinget (2), Regjeringen, Stortinget (3), NRK

On 7 March, Fosen Vind, a joint venture led by state-owned enterprise Statkraft, reached an agreement with the Nord-Fosen siida, a local community of Indigenous Sámi people, over the construction of a windfarm on lands used by Sámi people for centuries for reindeer husbandry. The agreement establishes that the Roan Vind farm can continue its operations and includes provisions for the sustainable continuation of reindeer herding in the region. The agreement allocates wind energy for local purposes, establishes a government grant geared towards supporting Sámi culture, and foresees the designation of area for reindeer grazing in the winter (to be available starting from 2026-2027). In 2021, the Supreme Court ruled that the windfarm’s construction violated Indigenous rights, and ruled the project illegal unless remedies could be agreed. The Ministry of Energy has mediated the dispute among other stakeholders since April 2023. In December 2023, Fosen Vind reached a partial agreement with the Sør-Fosen sijte for the continued operations of the other site concerned by the court’s ruling, the Storheia windfarm.

Sources: Sametinget, Jurist, Regjeringen (1), Regjeringen (2), Aneo Group, NRK, Constitutional Court