The palace wants security around the king tightened.King Harald and Queen Sonja during his 70th birthday celebrations last
month. PHOTO: LISE ÅSERUD / SCANPIX
A desire for tougher screening of employees and suppliers to the Royal Palace may violate European human rights regulations.
An increasing number of professions require a certificate of good conduct from police to gain employment, and now King Harald also wants the option of making such demands, also from potential suppliers of goods and services to the royal court.
Palace information chief Astrid Versto told Norwegian news agency ANB in an email that authorities have defined the protection of the king an issue of vital national security.
"Therefore the security law also applies to the royal court from July 1 2006. Some staff will be security cleared through this system, but in addition there is a request for the chance to acquire police conduct certificates for employees and suppliers to the royal court," Versto said.
The Ministry of Justice believes that the king's wish may conflict with Article 8 of the European Court of Human Rights convention on respect for private life.
"Such measures seem to go further than necessary," the ministry wrote in a letter to the Directorate of Police on the matter.
(Aftenposten English Web Desk/NTB)
Source: http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1691541.ece
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