Alternative criminal sanctions in Nordic countries Cover Image

Alternativne krivične sankcije u pravima nordijskih država
Alternative criminal sanctions in Nordic countries

Author(s): Olga Tešović
Subject(s): Criminal Law
Published by: Institut za uporedno pravo
Keywords: Nordic law; criminal sanctions; prison alternatives; social policy; equality of citizens; punitiveness

Summary/Abstract: The specificity of the criminal law of the Nordic states is reflected in the fact that, in the trend of expanding punitiveness in the world and intensification in penal policy, one of the key features is avoiding the application of the prison sentence wherever it is possible and turning to its alternatives. Namely, the Nordic countries have remained on the same course for decades as regards the sanctioning of perpetrators of criminal offenses, and their mild penal policy, especially in the eyes of the Anglo-Saxon countries and countries under their influence, is directly related to high social spending in these societies and the existence of real social egalitarianism among citizens. The aim of this paper is to present a system of criminal sanctions in the law of the Scandinavian countries, with a key review of alternatives to prison sentence and their practical application, as well as to point out the reasons for the existence of such a system of sanctioning and its advantages in relation to legal systems with highly repressive elements in criminal policy.

  • Issue Year: 2018
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 185-202
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Serbian