New act on the protection of participation in public debate
Published:
The Riksdag has voted in favour of the Government's legislative proposal on the protection of participation in public debate in disputes with cross-border consequences.
The background to this is a development within the EU where legal proceedings are increasingly used to silence or intimidate people from participating in public debate.
The Government’s proposal implements the EU Directive on protecting persons who engage in public participation from manifestly unfounded claims or abusive court proceedings, that is strategic lawsuits to prevent public debate. The proposal aims to provide strengthened protection of freedom of expression and information.
The Riksdag has also voted in favour of the Government’s proposal for a new judgment by default sanction, that is a sanction whereby a court may, in certain cases, issue a judgment against a party who has not responded to injunctions from the court, obstructed or waived its participation in an adequate manner. The proposal will contribute to a more efficient handling of civil cases.
The new rules will come into force on 1 May 2026.
Committee report (In Swedish): Genomförande av direktivet om skydd för personer som deltar i den offentliga debatten samt införande av en ny tredskodomssanktion (JuU23)