Marius Borg Høiby’s appeal trial will begin on 9 February 2027 and is provisionally scheduled to run until 5 March, the Borgarting Court of Appeal (Borgarting lagmannsrett) announced on Thursday. The court has set aside 16 days for the proceedings, which will reconsider the convictions that Høiby appealed after being sentenced to four years in prison in June.
The appeal concerns Høiby’s convictions for two rapes and domestic abuse against his former partner Nora Haukland. The son of Queen Mette-Marit was acquitted by Oslo District Court (Oslo tingrett) of two other rape charges.
According to the Borgarting Court of Appeal announcement reported by TV 2, Judge Frode Elgesem has been appointed to lead the court.
“Sixteen days have provisionally been set aside for the appeal hearing. If this becomes the final timeframe, the last day in court will be 5 March.”
What the Marius Borg Høiby appeal will reconsider
Høiby was sentenced on 15 June 2026 to four years in prison. The Oslo District Court convicted him of two rapes, domestic abuse, violence and several breaches of restraining orders, while acquitting him of rape against two other women.
His defence appealed the convictions for the two rapes and domestic abuse. Those are the charges that will now be reconsidered by the Court of Appeal, according to NRK and VG.
The court decided on 10 September to hear the appeal. The proceedings will reconsider the question of guilt and sentencing, as well as compensation and damages connected to the appealed parts of the case. The original judgment ordered Høiby to pay a total of NOK 640,000, around €59,200, in compensation to four complainants.
The prosecution had argued that the appeal should not be admitted. State prosecutor Sturla Henriksbø said the evidence considered by the District Court was sufficiently strong that the appellate judges could assess the prospects of the appeal without a new full hearing.
Høiby’s defence welcomed the decision.
“This is as expected, and we are naturally pleased with the Court of Appeal’s decision,” defence lawyer Petar Sekulic told NTB after the appeal was admitted.
A shorter trial than the original proceedings
The original trial before Oslo District Court lasted around seven weeks in February and March 2026. The appeal is currently expected to last about four weeks.
The shorter schedule reflects the narrower scope of the case. Convictions relating to violence, breaches of restraining orders and other offences that Høiby has not appealed will not be retried as part of these proceedings.
Høiby has been in pre-trial detention since early February, either in prison or under electronic monitoring at his home at Skaugum since July. More than 200 days already spent in custody will be deducted from any final custodial sentence, according to TV 2.
The February hearing will therefore reopen only part of one of Norway’s most closely followed criminal cases, while the remaining convictions from the District Court judgment will stay outside the appeal proceedings.
