MP Björgvin G. Sigurðsson, who chairs the Judicial Affairs and Education Committee of Alþingi, the Icelandic parliament, commented after the committee’s meeting yesterday that the Supreme Court of Iceland had made a mistake in its recent verdict of an assault.
Björgvin G. Sigurðsson. Copyright: Icelandic Photo Agency.
One of the convicts was not found guilty of sexual assault in spite of having inserted his fingers into the vagina and rectum of the victim, as the majority of Supreme Court judges reasoned that his motivation had not been sexual, only to cause the victim pain, visir.is reports.
The verdict caused an outrage with protestors symbolically scrubbing the Supreme Court’s walls.
Ragnheiður Bragadóttir, law professor at the University of Iceland, discussed the verdict at the Judicial Affairs and Education Committee’s meeting.
“Even though parliamentarians aren’t eager to criticize the judicature’s conclusions, it sometimes has to be done,” said Björgvin. “And I believe harsh reactions from all directions were justifiable and natural in light of this bizarre verdict.”
Björgvin added that the committee had concluded that the legislation had been in order but that the court had made a mistake. He stated legal amendments were not necessary but that parliamentarians should follow the executions of verdicts.
Click here to read more about the protests.
ESA
