Norway

4.1 State-based grievance mechanisms [page 40]

Judicial grievance mechanisms 

The 26th principle concerns judicial mechanisms for addressing human rights abuses. Norway has comprehensive human rights legislation and legislation in other areas that is also applicable to CSR. We also have an effective judicial system, and the Norwegian law of damages provides for financial compensation or redress under certain conditions.

Norwegian companies may become involved in legal cases dealing with human rights abuses in the host country. If the case is to be brought before a Norwegian court, it must satisfy the requirement in the Dispute Act that the facts of the case ‘have a sufficiently strong connection to Norway’. In order to determine whether the connection is sufficiently strong, an overall evaluation must be made of all the circumstances in the case that includes both judicial and other relevant circumstances.24 There are also other conditions for bringing a case before a Norwegian court.It is important to ensure that individuals who feel that their rights have been violated have access to effective remedy. The Government will actively follow the international efforts to strengthen access to judicial grievance mechanisms at the national level.

Measures:

• participate in international cooperation to ensure that victims of grave and systematic human rights violations as a result of business activities have access to effective remedy;
• support the work headed by OHCHR to strengthen national judicial systems to protect the rights of the victims of grave and systematic human rights violations;
• participate in the process in the Council of Europe on following up the recommendations of the UN Guiding Principles on access to effective remedies at national level.