Den professionella autonomins skiftande uttryck : En studie av domarprofessionens möjligheter att utöva sitt professionella omdöme

Sammanfattning: This study is a contribution to the discussion of how professional work is managed and what consequences it has for professional practice. Previous studies have shown how a de- professionalization has taken place, a loss of autonomy, as a result of increased external control. However, judges have received insignificant attention in the research field on (public) professions. The study therefore aims to examine the meaning of professional autonomy at the micro level and, more precisely, the space of the judicial profession regarding professional autonomy in the daily work of the district court. Based on professional theory, three dimensions of autonomy in professional practice have been developed: the organization, the execution and the evaluation of work. These dimensions have been investigated through qualitative interviews with nine judges at different stages of their careers. The results of the study show that professional autonomy is expressed in different ways, in occupational professionalism and organizational professionalism, as well as in different parts of the work. The study thus shows the importance of studying autonomy as a multifaceted concept. Further, the autonomy of judges appears to be protected from evaluation as a result of their constitutional independence, but less so from management. The latter is shown to risk having negative consequences on the judges' ability to exercise their professional judgment in practice and for the quality of their work.