Public Administration and Good Governance

Abstract

The Nordic countries share broadly similar rules and principles of administrative law. Although the administrative laws of Denmark, Norway and Iceland have much in common, they differ in important respects from the public law of Finland and Sweden, so that one may speak of two groups of public law. Executive power and the conditions for its exercise have been regulated in constitutional acts, more so for Finland and Sweden than for Denmark and Norway. In all the Nordic countries legalism maintains its significance in the exercise of administrative functions although in the provision of public services, legalism is somewhat more subdued. All Nordic countries have law on access to documents and were amongst the first countries in Europe to have such legislation.