Sweden's Justice Chancellor Thomas Bull has reversed the government's legal position on Sami reindeer herding rights in a landmark decision. The move comes as five additional Sami villages sue the state for hunting and fishing rights similar to those granted to Girjas Sami village in 2020. Bull, who took office in March, will now argue that sections 31-33 of the Reindeer Husbandry Act prevent Sami villages from transferring rights that belong to reindeer husbandry.
The legal shift follows pressure from seven village commons in northern Sweden. These groups hired lawyers and historians and collaborated with kennel clubs and the Federation of Swedish Farmers. The coordinated effort represents growing organized opposition to expanding Sami land rights.
Anders Lindkvist, spokesperson for Jukkasjärvi Sami village, welcomed the development. 'We are pleased that the Justice Chancellor has changed position in all ongoing cases between Sami villages and the state,' he said in a statement.
The original Girjas case decided by Sweden's Supreme Court in January 2020 established that Sami villages could claim property rights over hunting and fishing through ancient custom. The court ruled that if a Sami village could prove uninterrupted historical use of an area without competition, it could claim ownership rights. That case did not address the Reindeer Husbandry Act provisions now being raised.
Camilla Wikland, representative for Talma Sami village, expressed skepticism about the timing. 'There might be a point in testing whether these paragraphs in the Reindeer Husbandry Act have relevance,' she acknowledged. 'But this should have been presented much earlier. We submitted our lawsuit back in 2002. And this doesn't change the Sami village's actual case.'
This legal reversal highlights the complex balance between indigenous rights and property law in Sweden. The Sami people have maintained reindeer herding traditions across northern Scandinavia for centuries, but their land rights remain contested. The government's new position could significantly impact not only the five pending cases but future indigenous rights claims across the Nordic region.
The timing raises questions about political influences on legal strategy. The Justice Chancellor's office traditionally maintains consistent legal positions across administrations. This sudden reversal after multiple Sami villages filed similar suits suggests either new legal interpretations or responding to political pressure from agricultural and hunting interests.
What happens next will test Sweden's commitment to indigenous rights. The courts must now weigh centuries of Sami tradition against modern legislation. Their decision will shape the future of reindeer husbandry and indigenous land management across northern Sweden for generations.