All’s Well That Ends Well

Despite the great conflicts between labor and capital in the 1920s, and the fact that were radical fractions both among the right and the left, fascism did not emerge as a dominant force in Norwegian politics. The moderate forces on the labor movement won control over the workers, and the state showed restraint in its oppression of opposition. The are many explanations to this, but the effects of the popular resistance against the penitentiary law, the action of the courts to modify the repression and the government’s reaction with acceptance, not further repression, have been overlooked as important factors. The legislature and the government challenged the rule of law by seeking to weaponize the law in favor of the employers, but this was fought back by civil disobedience and by reluctance in the courts. Thus, the rule of law emerged as stronger from this experience.