This book is open access under a CC BY 4.0 license. This edited collection provides a
comprehensive analysis of the differences and similarities between civil legal aid schemes in
the Nordic countries whilst outlining recent legal aid transformations in their respective
welfare states. Based on in-depth studies of Norway Sweden Finland Denmark and Iceland the
authors compare these cases with legal aid in Europe and the US to examine whether a single
unique Nordic model exists. Contextualizing Nordic legal aid in relation to welfare ideology
and human rights Hammerslev and Halvorsen Rønning consider whether flaws in the welfare state
exist and how legal aid affects disadvantaged citizens. Concluding that the five countries all
have very different legal aid schemes the authors explore an important general trend: welfare
states increasingly outsourcing legal aid to the market and the third sector through both
membership organizations and smaller voluntary organizations. A methodical and compassionate
text this book will be of special interest to scholars and students of the criminal justice
the welfare state and the legal aid system.
