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 February 19, 1941. She is a very important person from Norway, originally from Sweden. She became a Supreme Court Justice and was also the president of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights.
In 1989, Karin Bruzelius made history. She became the first woman to be appointed as a Permanent Secretary in a government ministry. This means she was the top civil servant in the Ministry of Transport and Communications. She held this big job until 1997. Later, in 1997, she was appointed as a Supreme Court Justice, which is one of the highest legal positions in Norway. She retired from this role in 2011.
Before these roles, she also worked as a director-general in the Ministry of Justice. She was also a lawyer for 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 served as president of the Norwegian Association for Women's Rights twice: from 1978 to 1984, and again from 2018 to 2020. Since 2011, she has been connected 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 law degree in 1964. She then continued her studies at Columbia Law School in 1969, where she earned a Master of Law degree.
While she was a law student in Lund, a famous American judge named Ruth Bader Ginsburg visited the university. Ruth Bader Ginsburg worked with Karin's father on a book about law in Sweden. During this time, Ginsburg became a close friend of the Bruzelius family. Karin Bruzelius later shared that being close to her family helped Ruth realize that women could have different lifestyles and legal positions than what was common in the United States at the time. Both Karin's father and Ruth Bader Ginsburg received special honorary degrees from Lund University in 1969.
Career in Law and Government
After finishing her studies in 1964, Karin Bruzelius worked briefly as an assistant judge in Gothenburg. Later that year, she moved to Norway. 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, but it was needed for someone born in another country to hold high government positions in Norway.
From 1965 to 1982, she worked in the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and the Police. She quickly moved up in her career. In 1974, she became a main officer in the ministry's legal department. By 1978, she was an assistant director-general in the same department. In 1979, she became a director-general and led the ministry's polar department. Her work in the Ministry of Justice focused on laws about transport and international law. She also worked on issues related to Svalbard and the Norwegian continental shelf, where Norway was developing its oil industry. She was only the second woman to become a director-general in any government ministry in Norway, and the first in the Ministry of Justice.
From 1982 to 1987, Karin Bruzelius worked as a corporate lawyer for the Nordic Association of Marine Insurers. This organization deals with insurance for ships. After this, 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 non-political position in a ministry, like being the chief manager. She was the first woman in Norway to hold such a position. In 1997, the King-in-Council appointed her as a Supreme Court Justice. 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 also led 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 the 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 was a board member for 18 years between 1974 and 2020. She was also a board member of the International Alliance of Women from 1979 to 1985. Since 2016, she has been part of the expert committee for the Norwegian Women's Lobby.
