The Ministry of Justice and Public Security has submitted a proposal to remove remaining gender-specific titles from the Courts of Justice Act, aiming to ensure legislation reflects gender equality in the legal sector.
The Norwegian government has initiated a public consultation to modernize the language used in the country’s legal system by replacing gender-specific job titles with neutral alternatives. The proposal primarily targets terms in the Courts of Justice Act (domstolloven) that historically imply male occupancy, specifically those ending in “-mann” (man).
Modernizing the legal language
The Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Justis- og beredskapsdepartementet) argues that job titles in the legislation should be gender-neutral to reflect that both men and women populate the judicial system. The government aims to replace the term formann (chairman) with leder (leader) throughout the legislation.
Minister of Justice Emilie Enger Mehl stated that the laws belong to everyone and that the language used in legal texts should communicate that positions of power are open to all genders. The move is part of a broader effort to remove archaic language that may subtly reinforce gender stereotypes within state institutions.
The debate over historical terms
While the removal of formann is largely seen as a standard modernization, the proposal touches on more complex historical titles. The government is assessing whether to replace the title lagmann (presiding judge/senior judge) with lagdommer. The term lagmann has roots tracing back to the Middle Ages in Norway, representing a significant legal tradition.
The ministry has acknowledged the historical weight of the term but suggests that lagdommer would be a more precise and neutral descriptor of the role today. The proposal is currently out for consultation, allowing legal experts and the public to weigh in on balancing historical preservation with modern gender equality.
A continued effort in neutrality
This initiative follows previous reforms in Norway designed to implement gender-neutral terminology across the public sector. A prominent example occurred in 2021 when the title of the Governor of Svalbard was changed from Sysselmann to Sysselmester. The suffix “-mester” (master) was chosen as a gender-neutral alternative to “-mann,” despite linguistic debates at the time.
The current proposal also addresses the title formann in the Land Consolidation Courts (jordskifteretten), suggesting a transition to jordskifterettsleder. The government has set a deadline for consultation responses, after which a final bill will be presented to the Parliament (Stortinget).
