Swedish Pro-Life Midwives Fined
Ellinor Grimmark and Linda Steen are two pro-life midwives who challenged their employment termination cases in court. Grimmark's case was taken to the Labor Court where she lost the case in April 2017. Due to this loss, she has been ordered pay all the court costs and received an invoice from the Jönköping County in the amount of 1 640 000 Swedish Kronor (€168 634). Linda Steen was denied an appeal in the Labor Court, but she will receive an invoice of 1.2 million Swedish Kronor (€123 391).
In Sweden, there is a special rule in discrimination case on costs. If a person had "reasonable grounds to have the dispute examined" the person can avoid having to pay the other party's costs if he loses the case. The rule exists so that ordinary people will not be prevented from gong to court for fear of financial ruin if they were discriminated against.
Ellinor Grimmark and Linda Steen had reasonable grounds for bringing proceedings because they were not allowed to work as midwives in Sweden, despite an extreme shortage of midwives in maternity care.
Both women's cases will proceed to the European Court of Human Rights.
Source: Världen idag