Extended criminal liability for attempting, preparing or conspiring to commit an offence

The Riksdag voted in favour of the Government’s proposed amendments to the Criminal Code with the purpose of increasing opportunities for law enforcement authorities to intervene and prevent serious offences from being committed at an early stage. 

The legislative amendments mean that: 

• criminal liability for attempted offences will be extended to include cases where a risk of perpetration of an offence has been eliminated owing to a crime-prevention measure by a public authority. However, this should not apply if the deed has clearly been of a less serious nature;
• criminal liability for preparing to commit an offence will be extended to include a person who handles something that, based on its nature and the general circumstances, is especially intended to be used as an aid in an offence or to enable the perpetration of an offence;
• criminal liability for preparing to commit an offence will also be extended to include more forms of handling aids and means of payment;
• criminal liability for conspiring to commit an offence will be extended to include a person who agrees with someone else that a deed is to be committed.

The amendments regarding attempting to commit an offence will come into force on 1 April 2026. The other amendments will come into force on 1 July 2026.

Committee report (In Swedish): Ett utvidgat straffansvar för försök, förberedelse och stämpling till brott (JuU19)