Morgan Johansson: The Law Council said it violates the freedom of association

- We encountered constitutional problems and had I got what I wanted, we would have already had such participation legislation in place from July 1 last year, but the Law Council said it violates the freedom of association and then we could not proceed with that proposal, says Morgon Johansson (S), Minister of Justice in SVT's Agenda during Sunday evening.

He believes that if he still submitted the proposal to the Riksdag it would have created a situation where the courts could still not judge under the new legislation, since courts are not allowed to apply laws that violate the constitution.

- We must first change our constitution simply, and that is our ambition.

While Norway legislated on these issues after the terrorist act on Utöya, the Riksdag did not go through the proposal until now in January.

Sweden only started investigating the issue in 2017, despite the fact that already in 2013 there was information that Swedes began to join the terrorist organization IS.

- I myself did not take office until 2014 and then it was in practice allowed to go abroad and train as a terrorist, which was bizarre. So during these years we have tightened the Swedish terrorist legislation so that it is now the most stringent ever.

You see no problems in changing the constitution and freedom of association?

- Of course, this must be carefully prepared, like all constitutional changes. But in practice, after the opinion of the Law Council, it is in practice that an association devoted to stamp collection and an association devoted to blasting people in the air have the same association legal protection in the sense of government, and I think that is absurd.

Norwegian legislation also allows women who, for example, to cook and take care of houses and homes, to be sentenced. But so far Morgan Johansson (S) does not want to go.

- Not cooking and that kind of support activities, no, as far as we could not go, it is defined to deal with weapons, to allow premises outside transport, so even if we come a good bit we will not go as far as I would will.

What effect do you hope the law will give?

- It will have an effect to such an extent that if we were once again in such a situation where people travel abroad to participate in the activities of such terrorist sects and commit these types of crimes, then we will be able to convict them. But Sweden is a rule of law where we cannot apply the law retroactively, so there we have to look ahead, and cannot see the past even if we want it.

A longer interview with Justice Minister Morgan Johansson (S) can be seen in Agenda on SVT-play.