“The change is to ensure that the sanctions in the legal system reflect society’s demands for justice,” says Greenland’s Minister of Business, Mineral Resources, Energy, Justice and Gender Equality.
It will now be possible for the court to sentence criminals to a maximum of 16 years instead of 10 years.
Sharp Increase
Greenland’s Parliament has decided to raise the maximum sentence from 10 to 16 years—a step that will have an impact on the most serious crimes.
“If trust in the justice system is to remain, there must be a connection between the sanction that a society gives to different types of crime and the victims’ and society’s perception of justice.”
This was stated by Naaja Nathanielsen, Minister of Business, Mineral Resources, Energy, Justice and Gender Equality, when she took the podium shortly before the vote.
According to the Minister, the change is only the first step in a major reform of the legal system.
“We are facing a reform of the legal system, where the return of criminal law is an option. Greenland’s government has already called the parties to a discussion of the basic principles of the Criminal Code, including the possibility of introducing punishment instead of measures and penalty frameworks for individual crimes.”
The proposal was unanimously adopted with 26 votes in favor and none against.
Special Cases
During the Law Committee’s consideration of the proposal, there has been discussion as to whether the new maximum measure framework should only apply in special cases.
This would mean that 10 years would continue to be the starting point—except in cases such as murder and serious sexual crimes.
However, the committee decided that the new law should not go into creating individual frameworks for individual types of crime.
“It is assessed that this would unnecessarily complicate the Criminal Code’s system of measures, and could also be perceived as a partial introduction of measures,” the committee writes.
However, the Law Committee calls on the Government of Greenland to take the desire for specific measures into account in the upcoming work on reforms of the judicial system.
Torture-Like Conditions In Greenland’s Prisons
The introduction of long prison terms will require a complete overhaul of Greenland’s prisons, which are characterised by inhumane conditions.
On August 19, 2025 the Danish Minister of Justice, Peter Hummelgaard and Naaja Nathanielsen, presented how 850 million kroner will be invested in Greenlandic police and justice.
Asked why the wallet is suddenly being opened on the Danish side now and not many years ago, the Minister of Justice replied that it is due to the state’s enormous billion-kroner surplus.
The Council of Europe’s Committee on Torture has criticised the lack of space in the institutions. And KNR has reported news about how those placed in Sisimiut are dying after just one week due to mold and asbestos.
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