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The evolution and implementation of Norway’s ultimate penalty: An exceptional approach to life imprisonment?

Appleton, Catherine
; 
Todd-Kvam, John
; 
Dahl, Hilde
; 
Johnsen, Berit
; 
Whittington, Richard
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Editors
Other Contributors
Affiliation
Norwegian University of Science and Technology; Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences; St Olavs University Hospital; University College of Norwegian Correctional Service; University of Chester
EPub Date
Publication Date
2025-04-07
Submitted Date
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Psychology
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Abstract
Though formal life sentences have been abolished in Norway, forvaring (post-conviction indefinite preventive detention) – a type of informal life sentence – can be imposed on individuals convicted of certain offenses who are considered to be at high risk of future offending. While great attention has been paid to Norway as an “exceptional” penal outlier globally, there is a notable lack of comprehensive knowledge about its indefinite penal sanction. Drawing on extensive historical research and legal and policy documentary analysis as well as leveraging a unique national dataset on the total forvaring population, this article provides the first international in-depth assessment of the evolution and implementation of Norway’s ultimate penalty. In so doing, it highlights significant disparities between policy ambitions and current practice and questions the extent to which the sanction of forvaring can be considered an “exceptional” approach to life imprisonment. It is argued that the development and growth of this type of informal life sentence can be seen as the epicenter of the impact of a more punitive ideology in Norway, emphasizing the need to move away from the concept of penal exceptionalism to better understand the full spectrum and practice of Norwegian and Nordic penality.
Citation
Appleton, C., Todd-Kvam, J., Dahl, H., Johnsen, B., & Whittington, R. (2025). The evolution and implementation of Norway’s ultimate penalty: An exceptional approach to life imprisonment? Law & Social Inquiry, 50(2), 504-537. https://doi.org/10.1017/lsi.2025.12
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Journal
Law & Social Inquiry
Research Unit
URI
http://hdl.handle.net/10034/629525
DOI
10.1017/lsi.2025.12
PubMed ID
PubMed Central ID
Type
Article
Language
Description
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of American Bar Foundation
Series/Report no.
ISSN
0897-6546
EISSN
1747-4469
ISBN
ISMN
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Sponsors
Unfunded
Additional Links
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/law-and-social-inquiry/article/evolution-and-implementation-of-norways-ultimate-penalty-an-exceptional-approach-to-life-imprisonment/C04B8B20ED264A48B3AD1EDC203E0BAE