Committee on the Constitution

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The Committee on the Constitution [1] (Swedish : konstitutionsutskottet) (KU) is a parliamentary committee in the Swedish Riksdag. The committee's responsibilities include examining issues relating to the Swedish Constitution and Administrative laws, as well as examining the Prime Minister's performance of duties and the handling of government matters. The committee's activities are regulated by the Riksdag.

Contents

Given the committee's significant power, it has been agreed since 1991 that the Speaker of the committee shall come from the opposition party. Since October 2022, the Speaker of the committee has been Ida Karkiainen from the Social Democratic Party, and the vice-Speaker of the committee is "to be elected" from the Moderate Party.

The committee is made up of seventeen elected members of the Riksdag with representation from all political parties.

History

The first Swedish legislative committee founded for the purpose of watching over the constitution was in May 1809, at the time of the Riksdag of the Estates. [2] The committee played an important role in the development of the new form of government that was adopted on 6 June in the same year. The first Speaker of the committee was Lars August Mannerheim, and the first Secretary of the committee was Hans Järta.

The committee was permanently established by the Instrument of Government, §53, in 1809, which describes the committee's function:

To bring issues concerning changes in the constitutions and opinions thereof to the attention of the estates of the state, and to review the minutes kept by the Government

Its tasks are similarly set out by §§ 105-107 of the Riksdagsstadgan (parliamentary rules):

The principal function remains unchanged, but a function has to adapt itself to modern society's conditions and the change in state.

Tasks

The Constitution Committee shall examine the performance of the duties of the Prime Minister and the handling of government matters. The committee has the right to obtain for review the minutes of decisions in government matters, documents that belong to these matters, and the government's other documents that the committee finds necessary for its review. Other committees and each member of the Riksdag may raise questions in writing with the Constitution Committee about the Minister's performance of duties or the handling of government matters. Law: (2010: 1408).

— Kungörelse (1974:152), [3]

The concerns of the Committee on the Constitution are the Swedish constitutions and the Riksdag's rules of procedure, and the committee is an important element of the Riksdag's power. The committee oversees legislation on the constitution and administrative law; on television, radio and film; press and party support; the Riksdag, offices in the Riksdag, such as the National Audit Office and the Ombudsman (but not the Riksbank); review of government ministers; freedom of the press and expression; municipal self-government; opinion formation; and freedom of religion. [4]

The Committee submits so-called KU-anmälningar (Constitutional Committee reports). The ongoing review is presented annually in a report, called the review report, formerly known as the "discharge report" (Swedish: dechargebetänkandet). [5] [6] When a report about a person is sent to the committee, a hearing is then held. Since 1988, the public has been allowed to witness these hearings. It is common for the committee to criticize a government minister after a hearing, resulting in a vote of no confidence. The committee also has the last word in certain deliberations prior to a Riksdag decision.[ citation needed ]

Impeachments

If impeachment should proceed against a government minister, it would be the Committee that decides this. The case would then go to Sweden's Supreme Court. The last time a minister was impeached in Sweden was during the mid-1800s, under the now-defunct impeachment law (Riksrätt  [ sv ]). [7] [8] [ circular reference ]

List of chairmen for the committee

Chairmen before 1971 (bicameral Riksdag)

After 1971 (unicameral Riksdag)

NamePeriodPolitical party
  Hilding Johansson 1972–1976 Social Democratic Party
  Karl Boo 1976–1979 Centre Party
  Bertil Fiskesjö 1979–1982 Centre Party
  Olle Svensson 1982-1991 Social Democratic Party
  Thage G. Peterson 1991–1994 Social Democratic Party
  Birgit Friggebo 1994–1997 Liberal People's Party
  Bo Könberg 1997–1998 Liberal People's Party
  Per Unckel 1998-2002 Moderate Party
  Gunnar Hökmark 2002-2004 Moderate Party
  Göran Lennmarker 2004–2006 Moderate Party
  Berit Andnor 2006–2010 Social Democratic Party
  Peter Eriksson 2010–2014 Green Party
  Andreas Norlén 2014–2018 Moderate Party
  Hans Ekström 2018–2019 Social Democratic Party
  Karin Enström 2019–2022 Moderate Party
  Hans Ekström 2022 Social Democratic Party
  Ida Karkiainen 2022– Social Democratic Party

List of vice-chairmen for the committee

Vice-chairmen before 1971 (bicameral Riksdag)

After 1971 (unicameral Riksdag)

NamePeriodPolitical party
  Gunnar Larsson 1972–1974 Centre Party
  Karl Boo 1974–1976 Centre Party
  Hilding Johansson 1976–1982 Social Democratic Party
  Anders Björck 1982–1991 Moderate Party
  Bertil Fiskesjö 1991-1994 Centre Party
  Kurt Ove Johansson 1994–1998 Social Democratic Party
  Göran Magnusson 1998–2006 Social Democratic Party
  Per Bill 2006–2014 Moderate Party
  Björn von Sydow 2014–2018 Social Democratic Party
  Marta Obminska [9] 2018–2019 Moderate Party
  Hans Ekström 2019–2022 Social Democratic Party
  Karin Enström 2022 Moderate Party
 TBD2022– Moderate Party

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References

  1. ↑ Utrikes namnbok. [Elektronisk resurs] : svenska myndigheter, organisationer, titlar, EU- och EG-organ, EU-titlar och länder på engelska, tyska, franska, spanska, finska och ryska (PDF) (in Swedish) (9th, rev. ed.). Stockholm: Utrikesdepartementet, Regeringskansliet. 2013. p. 19. SELIBR   14986186.
  2. ↑ "Regeringsformen". riksarkivet.se.
  3. ↑ "Kungörelse (1974:152) om beslutad ny regeringsform 13 kapitel [on deciding on a new form of government, Chapter 13]", lagen.nu. Accessed the September 30, 2020.
  4. ↑ The 15 parliamentary committees
  5. ↑ dechargebetänkande sv.wiktionary.org
  6. ↑ "Konstitutionsutskottet". riksdagen.se. Retrieved 2 October 2020.Riksdagens ledamöter har rätt att anmäla ministrarna i regeringen till KU [Members of the Riksdag have the right to report government ministers to the KU]
  7. ↑ Bokefors, Jesper. "Riksrätten". lup.lub.lu.se (in Swedish). Lund University: Lund University. p. 93 (8.3.2 Reformförslag) §6. Archived from the original on 2 October 2020. Retrieved 2 October 2020.
  8. ↑ Swedish Wikipedia on impeachments
  9. ↑ Uppsalapolitiker föreslås till ordförandepost i KU Archive 2018-09-28

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