Jørn Øyrehagen Sunde

Jørn Øyrehagen Sunde is Professor in legal history at the Department of Public and International Law at the University of Oslo. He has authored and edited numerous books, including one on the history of the Norwegian Supreme Court, as well as several articles and book chapters, such as a chapter on the history of Nordic legal culture and court culture in the 2021 Springer book, Rethinking Nordic Courts. Professor Sunde has been dedicated to dissemination. He has held over 600 speeches outside academia, participated in the making of historical exhibitions, radio and TV programs, and written a series of newspaper articles. Sunde is three times awarded lecturer of the year at the Faculty of Law in Bergen, where he was previously a professor.

What are you working on right now? 

I am working on a pamphlet on class-divided rule of law. Norway has historically a fairly robust tradition for rule of law. However, the last 30 years, the legal system has more and more favoured the financially strong and excluded the financially weak. This process can still be reversed, but have not gained any political attention.  

What does a typical day for you look like? 

A typical day for me is a day of travel. I travel much to give speeches since giving speeches is a work method for me – it gives me a series of deadlines to work up against, and it gives me an audience to test ideas and perspectives on. The writing I often do while on journey. However, the final writing I do in solitude at my home office.  

Can you describe your office space? 

My office is packed with books and old furniture. The books are put in the bookshelves in strict order, so I can easily find them and bring them on my journeys. The atmosphere is hence one of order and learning, and hence the perfect atmosphere for supervision of students, which is what I use my office for.  

Is there a book you’d recommend within your field? 

I seldom read books. Instead, I prefer to research empirical data that have been unstudied. It has to do with me being a dyslexic. I am a very slow reader, but read and analyse empirical data as fast as my colleagues. If the data is in ancient writing, I often read it faster.  

What is your background? 

As a legal historian, I am a lawyer by training and historian by trade. I have also studied cultural anthropology, political science, and dance.  

If you had to choose a different field, what would it be? 

If I was not a legal historian, I would like to be a watchmaker.  

What do you like most about your job? And what do you like the least? 

I love to discover new perspectives and new knowledge, and I love to teach and supervise students. (The two things often go hand in hand, since I discover just as often new perspectives and knowledge when teaching and supervising, as when researching). I hate administration, and travel refunds the most! 

Is there a TV-show you are binging? 

I only watch TV occasionally to listen to other languages, like French, German, and Italian. However, I have been a movie freak most of my life, and love to watch movies together with my wife.  

What are you listening to these days? 

I always choose to listen to music that is related to what I am working on. Since I am now working on the class-divided rule of law, I am listening to Patti Smith and “People have the power”.  

If you were prime minister for a day, what would you do? 

Combat child poverty! Child poverty has increased with 300% over the last 20 years in Norway. When traveling I saw inherit poverty for the first time in Norway. That is the kind of poverty that you inherit from your parents, and it leaves its marks on your face, your body, and your whole being.  

Your friend sets you up on a blind date with someone famous – who do you hope it is? 

Out of the question. I have known my wife for 32 years, we have been married for 25, and I can not even imagine dating anyone else. 

What’s on your nightstand? 

“Du er så lys” by my soulmate Tore Renberg.  

Which podcast are you listening to right now and why? 

I listen to whatever podcast my wife listens to.  

And a place you’ve been where you’d like to go back? 

I always long to go back to my favourite mountain, Ulavanoso, and to look out over the North Sea from the mountaintop.