Judges

Individual cases before the Labour Court are presided over by seven judges: two of the court's permanent professional judges, one judge summoned from among the deputies for the professional judges, and four judges appointed based on nominations (recommendations) from the social partners.

The Labour Court consists of a president, a vice president, a third professional judge and four other judges. Deputy judges are also appointed. The three professional judges are senior civil servants. The other four judges and deputy judges are appointed by the King for terms of three years.

The deputy judges for the professional judges are appointed based on proposals from the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs and without being nominated by the social partners. The other four judges and their deputies are nominated by the employers’ associations and trade unions in accordance with more detailed provisions set out in Section 39 of the Labour Disputes Act. The Civil Service Disputes Act Section 25 sets out special rules on the right to nominate judges for cases to which the state is a party.

Deputy judges serve when the permanent judges are unable to attend. The deputy judges nominated by the organisations also have another important function. It follows from the Labour Disputes Act Section 38 that, when parties other than the organisations that nominated the permanent judges are parties to a case, deputy judges nominated by the organisations that are parties to the case shall take part.

With effect from 1 March 2012, the professional judges’ extrajudicial activities must be registered, cf. the Labour Disputes Act Section 36 third paragraph. The purpose of this register is to ensure transparency and prevent doubt from arising about the impartiality of the judges. The register is kept by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

Link to the official government page about Arbeidsretten

The Labour Court's permanent judges

The president of the Labour Court of Norway is Tron Løkken Sundet.
The Labour Court’s vice president is Hanne Inger Bjurstrøm.
The third professional Labour Court judge is Eli Mette Jarbo.

The following judges have been appointed for the period from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2026 to hear cases pursuant to the Labour Disputes Act:

Tor-Arne Solbakken, Rygge (LO)
Anita Johansen, Leirfjord (LO), (new)
Bent Ove Hanasand, Rennesøy (NHO)
Christine Grung, Askøy (NHO) (new)

The following judges have been appointed for the period from 1 September 2023 to 31 August 2026 to hear cases pursuant to the Civil Service Disputes Act:

Tone Rønoldtangen, Nes (LO Stat)
Geir Bjørkli, Trøgstad, (LO Stat)
Inger Harstveit, Oslo (Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation)
Jan Helge Pettersen, Oslo (Ministry of Local Government and Modernisation)

Deputy judges

The following deputy judges have been appointed for the period 1 September 2023 –31 August 2026:

Deputy judges for President Tron Løkken Sundet, Vice President Hanne Inger Bjurstrøm and Judge Eli Mette Jarbo:

Court of Appeal Judge Eirik Akerlie, Oslo
Court of Appeal Judge Marit Bjørånesset Frogner, Oslo (new)
Court of Appeal Judge Ida Skirstad Pollen, Bærum (new)
Retired Supreme Court Justice Knut Herbrand Kallerud, Oslo (new)
Professor Marianne Jenum Hotvedt, Asker
Associate Professor Alexander Sønderland Skjønberg, Oslo (new)
Retired Supreme Court Justice Liv Gjølstad, Oslo (until 01.09.2024)
Retired Supreme Court Justice Georg-Fredrik Rieber-Mohn, Ringerike (until 01.09.2024)
Retired Supreme Court Justice Steinar Tjomsland, Oslo (until 01.09.2024)

Deputy judges for Tor-Arne Solbakken and Anita Johansen:

Roger Hansen, Skedsmo (LO)
Sissel Weholdt, Oslo (LO) (Ny)
Jan Olav Andersen, Oslo (LO) (Ny)
Anne Bondevik, Drammen (LO) (Ny)
Lasse Kolstad, Bærum (Unio) (Ny)
Anne Merete Bull, Oslo (Unio)
Evy Ann Eriksen, Porsgrunn (Unio)
Oddgeir Lunde, Sunnfjord (Unio) (Ny)
Arne Laudal Refsum, Bærum (Akademikerne)
Per Egeness, Asker (Akademikerne)
Kaare Marius Engebretsen, Oslo (Akademikerne)
Lars Marius Heggberget, Melhus (Akademikerne) (Ny)
Sindre Kvammen, Arendal (Akademikerne)
Kristin Kornelia Utne, Oslo (Akademikerne) (Ny)
Knut Arild Knutsen, Kristiansand (Akademikerne) (Ny)
Kjersti Borgen, Oslo (Akademikerne)
Gunhild Stenersen, Oslo (Akademikerne) (Ny)
Roar Johnsen, Stjørdal (Akademikerne) (Ny)
Christopher Navelsaker, Oslo (YS) (Ny)
Jarl Yngve Glent, Oslo (YS) (Ny)
Jorunn Berland, Bergen (YS)
Stein Johansen, Bærum (YS)
Gunn Olander, Voss (YS)
Torhild Johannessen, Moss (YS) (Ny)
Lise Dragset, Trondheim (NITO)
Jan Olav Brekke, Stavanger (Lederne)
Ottar Torflåt-Vannberg, Bergen (Lederne)

Deputy judges for Bent Ove Hanasand and Christine Grung:

Karl Johan Kolltveit, Bærum (NHO) (new)
Anne-Lise Aukner, Oslo (NHO)
Margrethe Husebø, Oslo (NHO) (new)
Bjørn Johan Hope, Stavanger (NHO) (new)
Per Kristian Sundnes, Lørenskog (KS)
Inger Marie Højdahl, Oslo (KS)
Tom Fossmark, Stavanger (KS)
Sigrid Fritzvold, Trondheim (KS)
Roar Reiten, Ålesund (KS)
Julie Emilsen Bäckstrøm (KS)
Cathrine Lødrup, Bærum (Virke) (new)
Marte Solberg, Oslo (Virke) (new)
Frode Christensen, Sandvika (Virke)
Kjersti Solheim Johansen, Bærum (Virke) (new)
Marianne Vernan, Oslo (Virke)
Christina Styrvold Wiggen, Bærum (Virke)
Stine Kvalen Andersen, Oslo (Virke)
Randi Johanne Løvland, Oslo (Spekter)
Cathrine Hennig, Asker (Spekter)
Kim Nordlie, Oslo (Spekter)
Lars Haukaas, Oslo (Spekter)
Nicolay Skarning, Oslo (Spekter)
Jan Inge Pettersen, Rælingen (Spekter) (new)
Thor Johansen, Oslo (Spekter)
Hilde Christiansen, Stavanger (Spekter)
Margunn Sørskår, Stavanger (Norges Rederiforbund)
Tore Ulleberg, Oslo (Norges Rederiforbund)
Bent Ove Hanasand, Stavanger (Norges Rederiforbund) – også oppnevnt av NHO
Siri Holand Andersen, Lillestrøm (MEF)
Geir Arne Lodgaard, Trondheim (MEF) (new)
Hanne Rennemo, Asker (PBL)
Arild Magne Olsen, Bodø (PBL)
Anne Berit Lyng Malmo, Verdal (PBL)
Tommy Larsen, Halden (PBL)
Britt Børke, Kongsberg (PBL)
Thor Gordon Eikeland, Sola (PBL)
Inger Lise Wølner, Notodden (PBL) (new)
Christian Fredrik Solberg, Østre Toten (PBL) (new)

Deputy judges for Tone Rønoldtangen and Geir Bjørkli:

Randi Stensaker, Bærum (LO Stat) (new)
Eivind Gran, Lillestrøm (LO Stat) (new)
Per Egeness, Asker (Akademikerne)
Arne Laudal Refsum, Bærum (Akademikerne)
Kristin Kornelia Utne, Oslo (Akademikerne) (new)
Sindre Kvammen, Arendal (Akademikerne)
Kaare Marius Engebretsen, Oslo (Akademikerne)
Lars Marius Heggberget, Melhus (Akademikerne) (new)
Kjersti Borgen, Oslo (Akademikerne)
Morten Skaarer, Oslo (Akademikerne) (new)
Ann Turid Opstad, Oslo (Unio) (new)
Victor-Bjørn Nielsen, Bergen (Unio) (new)
Kjetil Mørk, Larvik (Unio) (new)
Mimi Bjerkestrand, Bergen (Unio)
Victoria Elisabeth Krefting Rynning, Oslo (YS) (new)
Rune Rudberg, Lillestrøm (YS) (new)

Deputy judges for Tom Simonsen and Inger Harstveit:

Kjerstin Bretteville-Jensen, Oslo
Geir Haugstveit, Oslo
Trond Bigseth, Oslo
Kirsten Agerup, Færder (new)