Disputes dealt with by the conciliation boards (discontinued), 2003

Civil disputes are most common settled with judgment by default because the defendant did not reply or appear for mediation. The proportion of cases with these types of settlements decreased, and in 2003 they made 68 per cent of all completed civil disputes -compared to 71 per cent in 2002. One out of six cases, or well over 39 400, were dismissed. This was an increase of almost 22 per cent from 2002, when one out of seven civil disputes were settled this way.

More reconciled and judgments with statement accepted

Cases which result in reconciliation makes a relatively small proportion, just a little more than 3 per cent of the total number of civil disputes. Nationwide, however, there were more than 5 per cent more reconciled in 2003 than in the previous year. Historically the 7 685 cases reconciled in 2003 also represents the largest number since 1932.

During the last ten years, additionally there have been an increasing number of judgments by default after the defendant has accepted the complainant's statement. From 2002 till 2003 this trend continued with an increase of 7 per cent. The number of cases where both parts appeared at conciliation boards, but got judged after mediation in vain, increased somewhat more - by 9 per cent. Judgments where statement was accepted, however, increased a lot more during the previous years. From representing about 60 per cent of all judgments where the defendant has replied or appeared in 1995, the proportion almost came to 80 per cent in 2003. In proportion to the total number of civil disputes the share of judgments with statement accepted have been relatively stable in the last years.

... and less referred to the court

The number of civil disputes referred to court from the conciliation boards decreases, and there were almost 7 per cent fewer such settlements in 2003 than in the previous year. The total number of civil disputes has increased strongly after 1994, and from making more than 6 per cent in 1994; the proportion of disputes referred to the court has become less than 2 per cent in 2003. The conciliation boards referred altogether 3 720 disputes to the courts in 2003, which is the lowest number since 1945.

Great geographical variation

According to population the conciliation boards in Finnmark and Oslo had most cases per 1 000 inhabitants, 68 and 67 respectively, followed by Hedmark with 57. Sogn and Fjordane had the lowest number of civil disputes per 1 000 inhabitants in 2003 with 37, followed by Rogaland with 39. Nationwide the number of civil disputes per 1 000 inhabitants amounted to 51.

Compared with the previous year Nordland was the county with the largest decrease in number of closed civil disputes, with 20 per cent. Oslo on the other hand, had the largest increase by 20 per cent. Most other counties recorded changes between a decrease of one per cent and an increase of 5 per cent. Nationwide the number of civil disputes increased by 3 per cent. The conciliation boards in Oslo dealt with almost one out of seven, or 15 per cent of all cases on a national basis.