Norwegian society is often celebrated as a model of progress and fairness. The country frequently makes headlines for its strong democracy, dedication to egalitarian values, and comprehensive social welfare system—including for those behind bars. In global rankings, Norway consistently tops measures of gender and class equality. In both popular culture and academic research, the nation is often contrasted with other countries’ punitive criminal justice systems, serving as a blueprint for reform.
Yet, reporting on Norway’s criminal justice system rarely goes beyond this international admiration. Despite its global reputation, few journalists have systematically examined how the system actually functions.
Lighthouse and Norway’s public broadcaster, NRK, aimed to fill that gap. Together, we compiled a database of over 9,000 verdicts issued between 2022 and 2023, focusing on cases heard by one professional judge alongside two lay judges—volunteer members of the public.
Over the course of a year, we analyzed these verdicts in detail, examining the demographics of defendants and judges, the crimes charged, mitigating and aggravating factors, and sentence lengths. Several trends emerged.
Defendants with lower incomes faced significantly longer sentences than wealthier counterparts, while women consistently received shorter sentences than men. Older judges handed down harsher punishments and were more severe toward defendants with migrant backgrounds than their younger colleagues.
Our reporting and data analysis reveal that both who you are and who presides over your case can influence your sentence in Norway. Our stories illustrate how these disparities play out in courtrooms, where people are judged not only for their actions but also for their identities.
Methods
Data-driven reporting on Europe’s criminal justice system remains limited. Compared to the United States or Latin America, European journalists have fewer opportunities to access structured data on court cases that allow for detailed analysis.
Between March 2022 and December 2023, NRK collected thousands of verdicts from Norway’s district courts. Names and postal codes for both defendants and judges were extracted and cross-referenced with the national population register and tax records. The resulting dataset included demographic and financial information for both groups, alongside detailed case information such as charges, convictions, and aggravating factors.
Lighthouse collaborated with NRK to explore whether characteristics of defendants or judges correlate with sentence severity. A key challenge was accounting for variations in crime types and aggravating factors, like repeat offenses, which naturally influence sentencing. We applied linear regression to control for demographic factors, individual offenses, and mitigating or aggravating circumstances, allowing us to isolate the effects of characteristics like income on sentencing.
For defendants, these disparities are not abstract—they can determine freedom or imprisonment. Our statistical findings guided in-depth reporting to show the real-world consequences. We reviewed hundreds of verdicts to identify illustrative cases and interviewed those affected. Experts were consulted to understand the mechanisms behind both conscious and unconscious biases in the courtroom.
We have made our methodology publicly available, reviewed by statisticians, legal scholars, and philosophers, and published the underlying analysis and results on Github.
Storylines
From our analysis, Lighthouse and NRK developed two stories that illustrate broader patterns.
The first follows Frank and “Jakob,” two middle-aged men stopped by police for traffic violations months apart. Both had consumed cannabis and had blood alcohol levels above legal limits, and neither had prior DUI convictions. Yet they differed in crucial ways: Jakob had assets worth hundreds of thousands of euros, while Frank was over €100,000 in debt, relying on social security. The judges also differed—Frank’s judge was nearly thirty years older than Jakob’s.
Our data show how differences in wealth and judge age translate into disparities in sentencing. Jakob received 30 hours of community service, while Frank served three weeks in prison, creating lasting financial and professional consequences. While each case is unique, these disparities reflect broader patterns across thousands of verdicts.
The second story follows Lisa and her boyfriend Erik, both on trial for assaulting an acquaintance, which they claim was in self-defense. Though charged with the same crime, the data show that women in Norway receive sentences roughly 24 days shorter than men, even after controlling for other factors. As Lisa and Erik’s cases progress, the story explores the social, legal, and cultural reasons behind gender differences in sentencing.