Marie Benedicte Bjørnland
Marie Benedicte Bjørnland (born 30 April 1965) is a Norwegian lawyer. She is the current Director of Police since 2019, and was the head of the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) from 2012 to 2019.
Benedicte Bjørnland | |
|---|---|
| Director of Police | |
| Assumed office 1 April 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Odd Reidar Humlegård |
| Director of the Norwegian Police Security Service | |
| In office 8 June 2012 – 29 March 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Janne Kristiansen |
| Succeeded by | Hans Sverre Sjøvold |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Marie Benedicte Bjørnland 30 April 1965 Kristiansand, Vest-Agder, Norway |
| Children | 2 |
| Occupation | Lawyer |
She was born in Kristiansand and grew up in Lier and Sandefjord. After obtaining a Master of Law degree from the University of Oslo, she worked as a deputy judge in Skien and Porsgrunn and as a consultant in the Directorate for prices,[1] with most of her career in various positions in the police force, becoming Chief of police in Vestfold in 2007.[2] As part of the latter position, she led the local branch of PST.[3]
Bjørnland was appointed chief of Police Security Service on 8 June 2012.[2]
In 2016, Bjørnland stated in a radio interview with The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation that being expressively 'anti-Islam' is enough to be considered as 'right-wing extremist' by PST.[4]
On 20 December 2018, she was nominated to succeed Odd Reidar Humlegård as director of police. She assumed office on 1 April 2019.[5]
As of 2022, she is involved in a case involving employment termination of a whistleblower at Police Security Service; in October that year, the agency of which she is chief - asked the justice ministry if Bjørnland has a conflict-of-interest in the case; according to a later media report, she has a personal conflict with whistleblower Øyvind Tenold.[6] As of October 28, the justice ministry will not make a judgement call, in regard to the question about conflict-of-interest.[6] Later in October, media uncovered that the Police Directorate had been involved when Tenold was fired as leader of "Police Security Service at[7] Vest Politidistrikt". Tenold has filed a complaint about his termination; that complaint is in the hands of a committee at Police Directorate - "the central employment-council". However, media has pointed out that the case work to decide the complaint - will be done by the Police Directorate, which has already been involved in the case of which the complaint comprises.[7]
Personal life: Bjørnland is married with two children and resides in Sandefjord.[8]
References edit
- ^ Tom Bakkeli et al (8 June 2012) Dette er den nye PST-sjefen (in Norwegian) VG
- ^ a b kathrine Hammerstad (8 June 2012) Dette er den nye PST-sjefen (in Norwegian) NRK.
- ^ Følger med i tiden (in Norwegian) Politilederen.
- ^ 'Dagsnytt atten' (9 February 2016) [1] (in Norwegian) PST Trusselvurdering
- ^ "Bjørnland er ny politidirektør" (in Norwegian). NRK. 20 December 2018. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
- ^ a b https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/eJJ9q4/bjoernland-hadde-personlig-konflikt-med-pst-varsler. VG.no. Retrieved 2022-10-30
- ^ a b https://www.vg.no/nyheter/innenriks/i/KnMz3X/pst-varsler-politidirektoratet-var-involvert-i-oppsigelsen-min VG.no. Retrieved 2022-10-30
- ^ Paal Even Nygaard (24 August 2012) Ikke holdepunkter for å si at PST kunne avverget ham (in Norwegian) Sandefjords Blad.