Sweden

International Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act (2000:562)

Chapter 2. General provisions concerning legal assistance in Sweden.

Consideration of requests and decisions on refusals

Section 14

A request for legal assistance shall be refused if execution of the request would violate Sweden’s sovereignty, involve a risk to national security or conflict with Swedish general principles of law or other essential interests.

A request for legal assistance may also be refused if
1. the act is in the nature of a political offence,
2. the act comprises a military offence, unless the act also corresponds to another offence under Swedish law that is not a military offence,
3. a judgment or decision on waiver of prosecution concerning the act has been issued in Sweden, or
4. the circumstances are otherwise such that the request should not be granted.

The second paragraph does not apply if a refusal would conflict with an international agreement that applies between Sweden and the requesting state. The second paragraph, item 1, does not apply to a request from a state that is a Member of the European Union or from Norway or Iceland.

Section 15

Decisions on refusals on any of the grounds stated in Section 14 are made by the Government. If a prosecutor or a court considers that a request should be refused on any such ground, the request shall be transferred to the Government. A request may also be transferred to the Government for determination of a refusal in other cases.

Otherwise, the instance that deals with the matter considers and decides whether the prerequisites and conditions applicable under the Act are satisfied. If the request has been submitted to the Ministry of Justice and it is manifest that the request should be refused, the Minister of Justice may directly decide to refuse the request instead of passing it on in accordance with Section 6.

Section 16

A decision to refuse a request completely or in part shall explain the reasons that determined the outcome.

Keywords

Refusal of ICC request



EDIT.