Abstract
The treatment of private international law in Sweden, including proof and information about foreign law, is influenced both by Sweden’s membership in the European Union and by Sweden’s close relationship with its neighboring Nordic countries (e.g. Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway). Another feature of relevance that impacts the possibility to draw firm conclusions regarding the treatment of foreign law in Sweden is the fact that there are few cases to draw conclusions from. However, some distinctive features regarding the treatment of foreign law in Sweden will be presented. It will be discussed to what extent Swedish courts are to apply foreign law ex officio and a distinction between mandatory and non-mandatory issues are made. It is highlighted that foreign law is treated as law (and not fact) in Sweden and that it is to be applied loyally, in conformity with how the law is applied in the country of origin. It is presented that a failure to determine the content of foreign law may be cured in different ways and it is concluded that a wrongful application of foreign law may be appealed in accordance with a normal appeal. It is further concluded that Swedish courts (and other instances that apply foreign law) rather use informal network in order to ascertain the content of foreign law than official networks (like the London rules). A concluding comment is that the treatment of foreign law in Sweden would benefit from a more developed system through which judges will be able to contact colleagues in other countries.
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Notes
- 1.
The Nordic region is the name for the north European region consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, and the three autonomous regions of Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The Nordic Council and The Nordic Council of Ministers represent the official Nordic co-operation. The Nordic Council was formed in 1952 and is the forum for inter-parliamentary co-operation. The Nordic Council of Ministers was formed in 1971 and is the forum for inter-governmental co-operation. Since early 1930s, a series of private international law conventions have been adopted to govern inter-Nordic relations, primarily within family and succession law. See further: http://www.norden.org/en
- 2.
One such example would be Förordning (1931: 429) om vissa rättsförhållanden rörande äktenskap, adoption och förmyndarskap. [Ordinance (1931: 429) on Certain Aspects Regarding Marriage, Adoption and Guardianship].
- 3.
For a more thorough analysis as to inter-Nordic regulation and Nordic co-operation see: Jänterä-Jareborg, M. “The Nordic Input on the EU’s Cooperation in Family and Succession Law – Exporting Union Law Through “Nordic Exceptions””, in EU Civil Justice: Current Issues and Future Outlook, Hart 2016.and Jänterä-Jareborg, M. “Den internationella familjerätten i Europa”, SvJT 2014 s. 226–243.
- 4.
- 5.
Rättegångsbalk (1942: 740) [The Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure].
- 6.
See e.g. Förvaltningsprocesslag (1971: 291) [The Administrative Court Procedure Act] and Lag (1971: 289) om allmänna förvaltningsdomstolar [The Administrative Court Act].
- 7.
See supra footnote 6.
- 8.
- 9.
See further: Bogdan, M. “Svensk internationell privat- och processrätt” [Swedish Private International Law], 8th Ed. Norstedts Juridik 2014 (cit. Bogdan 2014), Jänterä-Jareborg, M., “Svensk domstol och utländsk rätt” [Swedish Courts and Foreign Law], Iustus förlag 1997 (cit. Jänterä-Jareborg 1997) and Jänterä-Jareborg, M., ”Foreign Law in National Courts – a Comparative Perspective”, Recueil des course, Volume 304, 2003 (cit. Jänterä-Jareborg 2003).
- 10.
As to the use of the term “permissively regulated issues” see further Jänterä-Jareborg, M., “The Foreign Law Problem” In Essays on Tort, Insurance, Law and Society in Hounour of Bill W. Dufwa, Jure, Stockholm 2006.
- 11.
One example from Swedish case-law is NJA 1985 p. 338 in which divorce, guardianship and maintenance was adjudicated. In the case the Supreme Court decided to treat all issues involved as mandatory as regards the procedure, but as to the adjudication of the different substantive issues involved it is stated that it is to be possible to separate mandatory (e.g. the divorce) and non-mandatory (e.g. the question regarding maintenance) elements.
- 12.
For a more comprehensive discussions as to proceedings regarding mandatory and non-mandatory issues see Ekelöf, P.O. and Edelstam, H. “Rättegång I [Procedural Law I]”, Norstedts Juridik 2002 (cit. Rättegång I), pp 59–65 and Jänterä-Jareborg 1997.
- 13.
Bogdan 2014, pp 37–42 and Jänterä-Jareborg 1997, pp 119–234.
- 14.
Examples of elective choice-of-law rules are to be found in Förordning (1931:429) om vissa internationella rättsförhållanden rörande äktenskap, adoption och förmyndarskap [Ordinance (1931:429) on Some International Marriage, Adoption and Guardianship Relationships]. There are also examples in this field where the applicability of foreign law is made dependent on the parties choice, e.g. chapter 3 paragraph 4 section 3 in Lag (1904:26) om vissa internationella rättsförhållanden rörande äktenskap och förmynderskap [Act (1904:26) on Some International Marriage and Guardianship Relationships].
- 15.
The Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, Chapter 17, Section 3.
- 16.
The Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, Chapter 42, Section 8.
- 17.
See e.g. Rättegång V [Judicial Procedure V], Norstedts Juridik 2010, p. 44 (with further references).
- 18.
See further Bogdan 2014 and Jänterä-Jareborg 1997.
- 19.
Lag (1904:26) om vissa internationella rättsförhållanden rörande äktenskap och förmynderskap [Act (1904:26) on Some International Marriage and Guardianship Relationships].
- 20.
For further discussions see Bogdan 2014, pp 171–172.
- 21.
The Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, Chapter 35, Section 2.
- 22.
Förordning (1931: 429) om vissa internationella rättsförhållanden rörande äktenskap, adoption och förmyndarskap [Ordinance (1931: 429) on Some International Marriage, Adoption and Guardianship Relationships].
- 23.
See further Bogdan 2014, pp. 161–162.
- 24.
See e.g. NJA 1973 p. 57 in which the Swedish Supreme Court, in a primarily non-mandatory case, choose to apply German Law, notwithstanding the fact that there was an agreement that Swedish law was to be applied. In this case the Swedish Supreme Court paid attention to the fact that the parties, at the time of the proceedings, no longer agreed as to the applicable law.
- 25.
Bogdan 2014, p 41; Jänterä-Jareborg 1997, pp 133–134, 146–148; Jänterä-Jareborg 2003 pp 336–355 and Pålsson, L., “Svensk rättspraxis i internationella familje- och arvstvister [Swedish Case-law Regarding International Family and Inheritance Law]“, Norstedts Juridik 2006 (cit. Pålsson 2006), p 41.
- 26.
Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, 35:2 subsection 2.
- 27.
Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, 35:2 subsection 2, second sentence.
- 28.
Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, 35:1 subsection 1.
- 29.
Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, 35:3.
- 30.
Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, 35:7. See further Ekelöf, P.O., Edelstam, H. and Heuman, L. “Rättegång IV [Judicial Procedure IV]”, Norstedts Juridik 2009, pp. 37–41.
- 31.
- 32.
- 33.
The European Convention on Information on Foreign Law is implemented in the Swedish legal system by Förordning (1981: 366) om rätt att i visa fall begära upplysningar om innehållet i utländsk rätt [Ordinance (1981: 366) Concerning the Right in Certain Cases to Request Information as to the Contents of Foreign Law].
- 34.
As to the investigation on foreign law conducted by the Ministry of Justice (the Central Authority) see further http://www.government.se/information-material/2014/05/international-judicial-co-operation--the-role-of-the-central-authority/. See also Ordinance (1981: 366) on the Right in Certain Cases to Request Information on Foreign Law.
- 35.
See further Jänterä-Jareborg 1997, pp. 274–291 and Jänterä-Jareborg 2003, pp. 314–321.
- 36.
Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, section 18:1.
- 37.
Rättshjälpslag (1996: 1619) [Act (1996: 1619) on Legal Aid].
- 38.
See further Bogdan 2014, pp. 47–49; Jänterä-Jareborg 1997, pp. 332–359 and Jänterä-Jareborg 2003, pp. 307–335.
- 39.
See further Jänterä-Jareborg, 1997, pp. 332–359.
- 40.
See further Jänterä-Jareborg 1997, pp. 337–348 and Jänterä-Jareborg 2003, pp. 324–335.
- 41.
Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, section 49: 14.
- 42.
Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, section 54: 10.
- 43.
Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, section 58: 1.
- 44.
See further Welamsson, L., “Rättegång VI [Judicial Procedure VI]”, Norstedts Juridik 2004, pp. 208–241.
- 45.
See further Welamsson, L., “Rättegång VI [Judicial Procedure VI]”, Norstedts Juridik 2004, pp. 242–253.
- 46.
In 2008 the Directorate General for Internal Policies of the Union conducted a study in which, among other things, the Swedish view on authentic systems is presented. It is quite apparent from the Study that notaries are not common to the Swedish system. See further “Comparative study on Authentic Instruments National Provisions of Private Law, Circulation, Mutual Recognition and Enforcement, Possible Legislative Initiative by the European Union”, November 2008, document no. PE 408.329. The study is available at: http://www.pedz.uni-mannheim.de/daten/edz-ma/ep/08/EST23673.pdf
- 47.
See further Jänterä-Jareborg 1997, pp. 228–234.
- 48.
- 49.
As to information regarding the Population Registration in Sweden there are information available at the homepage of the Swedish Tax Agency, www.skatteverket.se. Information in English is available at: http://www.skatteverket.se/privat/sjalvservice/blanketterbroschyrer/broschyrer/info/717b.4.39f16f103821c58f680008017.html
- 50.
Lag (1904: 26) om vissa internationella rättsförhållanden rörande äktenskap och förmynderskap [Act (1904: 26) on Certain International Marriage and Guardianship Relationships], section 1:1, subsection 2.
- 51.
See Lag (1985: 367) om internationella faderskapsfrågor [Act (1985: 367) on International Questions on Paternity], section 9 subsection 1.
- 52.
In the Swedish legal system there is a general right to appeal decisions from Authorities to Administrative Courts. The rule, that is found in section 22a of the Förvaltningslag (1986: 223) [Act (1986: 223) on Administration] has few exceptions. See also section 3, subsection 2, in which it is stated that article 6(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights is to be respected in relation to the possibility to appeal decisions from Authorities.
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Maunsbach, U. (2017). Sweden: Proof of and Information About Foreign Law in Civil and Commercial Matters – Swedish Perspectives. In: Nishitani, Y. (eds) Treatment of Foreign Law - Dynamics towards Convergence?. Ius Comparatum - Global Studies in Comparative Law, vol 26. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56574-3_16
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