Norwegian National Human Rights Institution

Latest from Norwegian National Human Rights Institution

1. Press release14 Oct 2026

   NIM urges the government to consider a national scheme of child representatives as the ECtHR opens for them from March 2027

   • From March 2027 the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) can, in special cases, give a child their own representative. This applies when the child is an applicant or third party in a case. The representative helps the court see the child's interests and view.
   • The Norwegian National Human Rights Institution (NIM) has written to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. It asks the ministry to explain how it will make room for such independent representatives at the ECtHR.
   Child welfareChildren and youthCourts
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2. News article13 Oct 2026

   NIM asks ministry to consider national scheme of independent representatives for children

   • NIM has written to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. It wants to know how the ministry makes sure children get an independent representative in cases before the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). This follows rule changes the Court has announced.
   • NIM also asks the ministry to consider or study a Norwegian scheme with dedicated representatives for children.
   Children and youthCourts
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3. Op-ed11 Oct 2026

   A PFU ruling is not censorship: press ethics enable free speech, argues Kierulf

   • Anine Kierulf writes about a ruling by the Norwegian Press Complaints Commission (PFU) against the paper RA Stavanger. It had run a reader's letter calling trans people products of «delusions», «mental illness», «men's fetishes» and «porn-inspired misogyny».
   • PFU decided, with some doubt, that the letter labelled a whole group and took away its dignity. That broke Vær Varsom code 4.3, which says the press must respect human individuality.
   LegislationLGBTQMedia
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4. News article9 Oct 2026

   Navi Pillay awarded the Peace Prize for a lifetime of work on international law and human rights

   • Navi Pillay from South Africa has won the Nobel Peace Prize. The prize shows how important international law and courts are for peace and human rights.
   • Pillay grew up under apartheid, South Africa's racist system of rule. As a lawyer she defended Nelson Mandela and others who fought apartheid.
   CourtsForeign policy
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5. Consultation response1 Oct 2026

   Norway's human rights body backs proposed law on inter-agency information sharing to prevent crime, but calls for clearer rules on data retention and deletion

   • NIM (Norway's national human rights institution) says yes to a new law allowing government agencies to share personal information with each other to prevent crime, and finds that the proposal handles the trade-off between protecting people from serious crime and respecting their privacy well.
   • However, NIM says the law must be clearer about how data should be shared safely, how long it can be kept, and when it must be deleted — and the Ministry should consider whether more situations should be covered.
   Crime statisticsLegislationPolice
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6. Consultation response1 Oct 2026

   Norway's human rights institution backs expanded inter-municipal cooperation but demands clear legal safeguards

   • NIM (Norway's national human rights body) largely agrees that municipalities should have better tools to cooperate on tasks they struggle to handle alone, such as when they lack staff or expertise.
   • NIM cautions, however, that when municipalities hand decision-making power to joint bodies, the rules on who is responsible must be crystal clear — otherwise residents' legal rights could be undermined.
   LegislationMunicipalitiesPublic administration
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7. News article1 Oct 2026

   Norway's human rights body warns that older people's rights are under pressure and will worsen as the population ages

   • NIM's 2023 report found that nothing had improved for the most vulnerable older people since 2019: abuse, forced medical treatment, and problems with nutrition and medication remain serious issues.
   • Worldwide, the number of people over 60 is expected to nearly double between 2025 and 2050, and the number of people reaching 100 will more than quadruple.
   DiscriminationElder carePublic health
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8. Consultation response30 Sept 2026

   Norway's human rights institution warns that a proposed exemption to the Transparency Act lacks assessment against freedom of information rights

   • The Ministry wants to let companies keep secret their human rights risk assessments when those assessments touch on national security or arms exports.
   • NIM warns that nobody has checked whether this conflicts with the human right to receive information and express oneself freely — and says this must be done before the rule is passed.
   BusinessLegislationNational security
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9. Consultation response25 Sept 2026

   Norway's NIM warns that cutting welfare benefits only for addiction and psychiatric patients may violate anti-discrimination law

   • Under current rules, people admitted to addiction or psychiatric treatment lose part of their welfare benefits, while patients admitted to a regular hospital for physical illness do not. NIM — the government's own human rights body — says this difference likely violates anti-discrimination law.
   • NIM does not say exactly how the rules should be changed, but calls on parliament to check whether the existing law is compatible with human rights.
   DiscriminationMental healthSubstance abuse treatment
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10. Consultation response21 Sept 2026

    Norway's National Human Rights Institution backs Alternative 1 in proposed reforms to children's rights in involuntary psychiatric care, but calls for child-specific rules and complaint mechanisms

    • NIM recommends that the ministry choose Alternative 1 for the rules on when children can be admitted to psychiatric care against their will, as it offers the strongest legal protection for children — though the rules should be better adapted to children's needs.
    • Whatever alternative is chosen, NIM says children must have simpler complaint procedures, and professionals must have clearer guidance on how to assess whether a child is truly objecting to treatment.
    Children and youthLegislationMental health
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