Karin Maria Bruzelius facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karin Maria Bruzelius
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Bruzelius lecturing on human rights in 2009
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| 21st and 32nd President of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights | |
| In office 1978–1984 |
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| Preceded by | Kari Skjønsberg |
| Succeeded by | Sigrun Hoel |
| In office 2018–2020 |
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| Preceded by | Marit Nybakk |
| Succeeded by | Anne Hege Grung |
| Chairman of the Petroleum Price Board | |
| In office 1987–2004 |
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| Secretary-General of the Ministry of Transport and Communications | |
| In office 1989–1997 |
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| Succeeded by | Per Sanderud |
| Supreme Court Justice | |
| In office 1997–2011 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | 19 February 1941 |
| Nationality | Sweden, Norway |
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Karin Maria Bruzelius was born on 19 February 1941. She is a Norwegian judge who was born in Sweden. She served as a judge on Norway's highest court, the Supreme Court of Norway. She also led the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights for several years.
In 1989, Karin Bruzelius made history. She became the first woman to be appointed as the top civil servant in a government department. This role is called the Permanent Secretary. She led the Ministry of Transport and Communications until 1997. After that, she became a Supreme Court Justice in 1997 and retired in 2011.
Before these important roles, she worked as a director-general in the Ministry of Justice. She also worked as a lawyer for private companies. From 2004 to 2010, she was a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. She also led the Petroleum Price Board from 1987 to 2004. She was president of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights from 1978 to 1984, and again from 2018 to 2020. Since 2011, she has been involved with the Scandinavian Institute of Maritime Law at the University of Oslo Faculty of Law.
Early Life and Education
Karin Bruzelius was born in Lund, Sweden. Her father, Anders Bruzelius, was a judge and a legal expert. She studied law at Lund University and earned her first law degree in 1964. Later, in 1969, she earned another law degree from Columbia Law School in the United States.
While she was a law student, a famous American judge named Ruth Bader Ginsburg visited Lund University. Ruth Bader Ginsburg worked with Karin's father on a book about law in Sweden. They became close family friends. Karin Bruzelius later shared that Ruth realized women could have different lives and legal rights in other countries, compared to the United States, by seeing her family. In 1969, both Karin's father and Ruth Bader Ginsburg received special honorary degrees from Lund University.
Career in Law and Government
After finishing her studies in 1964, Karin Bruzelius worked briefly as an assistant judge in Sweden. Later that year, she moved to Norway. This was because she married a Norwegian lawyer named Fredrik Heffermehl. She became a Norwegian citizen in 1972. In 1974, she officially became a Norwegian citizen through a special act of parliament. This was a rare step needed for someone born outside Norway to hold high government positions.
From 1965 to 1982, she worked in the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police. She moved up in her career there. By 1974, she was a principal officer in the legal department. In 1978, she became an assistant director-general. Then, in 1979, she became a director-general and led the ministry's polar department. Her work in the Ministry of Justice involved laws about transport and international law. She also worked on issues related to Svalbard and Norway's oil industry on the Norwegian continental shelf. She was only the second woman to become a director-general in any government ministry, and the first in the Ministry of Justice.
From 1982 to 1987, Karin Bruzelius worked as a lawyer for the Nordic Association of Marine Insurers. This group deals with insurance for ships and sea travel. After that, she returned to government work. She became a director-general in the Ministry of Transport and Communications. In 1989, she was promoted to secretary-general. This is the highest civil servant position in a ministry. She was the first woman in Norway to hold such a role.
In 1997, the King-in-Council appointed her as a Supreme Court Justice on the Supreme Court of Norway. She served in this important role until 2011. She was also a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague from 2004 to 2010. Since 2011, she has been involved with the Scandinavian Institute of Maritime Law.
Karin Bruzelius has led several important boards. She chaired the Petroleum Price Board from 1987 to 2004. This board was in charge of setting prices for oil produced on the Norwegian continental shelf. She also leads the Norwegian Financial Services Complaints Board. She was president of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights from 1978 to 1984, and again from 2018 to 2020. She was also the Vice President of the association from 1974 to 1978, and from 2014 to 2016. She served on its board for 18 years between 1974 and 2020. From 1979 to 1985, she was a board member of the International Alliance of Women. Since 2016, she has been part of the expert committee for the Norwegian Women's Lobby.
Images for kids
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Bruzelius lecturing on human rights in 2009
