The lawyer: "It's a disaster"

On Monday, about 750 negotiations had to be canceled, either because the court's staff or board members could not work or because people called for negotiations could not participate because of the corona virus. This is a sharp rise from last week, when about 100 goals had been set.

The most affected area is the Stockholm area, where approximately 380 negotiations have been canceled. About 700 employees now work from home, partly because of a quarantined quarantine, compared to 260 employees last week. Here, too, the Stockholm Courts stand out, where about 390 people are at home.

- The judicial system is already under severe pressure and the resources are small. Any reduction of resources is a disaster. Many people are waiting to get full legal judgment. It is equally bad whether you are a suspected accused or a prosecutor who has been the victim of a crime. This can also affect litigation if people die or witnesses who do not remain, says Johanna Björkman, lawyer for the Weekly Crime editorial board.

- We must prioritize goals with detention, detention negotiations, youth and family goals, but also for example bankruptcies. For example, administrative law gives priority to goals of disposal. You have to prioritize what is most important to the citizens, ”says Gudrun Antemar, a lawyer at the Stockholm District Court.

In addition to the courts' own staff, other people are also affected, such as parties to cases and their lawyers. The courts now prioritize acute cases where someone is deprived of liberty, cases involving young people involved and family cases. Other non-priority negotiations risk being canceled and delayed.