NCJ Number
85883
Date Published
1980
Length
17 pages
Annotation
Police legal limitations bearing upon the treatment of suspects in Scandinavian countries are described, and police adherence to these legal parameters is assessed.
Abstract
The Nordic laws on criminal procedure contain provisions stipulating that a person suspected of a crime carrying a certain minimum penalty can be bodily searched if there are reasons to believe this search will yield evidence. The same general requirement applies to the taking of fingerprints. Blood samples can be taken when intoxication must be proven. Other encroachments on a suspect's body are permitted only when a person is suspected of an offense that can lead to imprisonment, and in such cases, encroachment must not be extreme or involve danger or significant pain to the suspect. The Scandinavian countries generally prohibit the use of technical, chemical, or similar aids to obtain information from a suspect. The monitoring of conversations by hidden technical aids is greatly restricted in the Scandinavian countries, and the use of technical visual aids in surveillance is only permitted where it does not involve observance of a person where they could reasonably expect to have privacy. The laws of arrest in Scandinavian countries generally prohibit arrests without a prior court ruling authorizing the arrest. Generally, the police in Nordic countries adhere to the legal requirements for the treatment of suspects; however, there appears to be a significant problem with police arresting and detaining suspects in the course of an investigation without court authorization in each instance.