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THE BOARDS ASSESSMENT OF THE MOTION TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
THE BOARDS ASSESSMENT
A motion was submitted to the General Council of the Law Students' Union (JF) at the General Council meeting on 20250520. The motion proposed four changes to the statutes. The proposals aimed to limit the ability of board members to participate in the General Council and to limit the ability of board members to become involved in the association in any further way during and after their year serving on the board. All changes to the statutes were rejected, however the General Council tasked the board of 2025/2026 with investigating the proposed changes to the statutes raised in the motion.
The investigation has been carried out through an analysis of the motion, the board's statement, the recorded part of the discussion from the general council meeting on 20250520, the statement of the Seniors' College and notes from the discussion held in the Seniors' College. In the investigation, the board has also taken into account the views of the union officers expressed in the JLV survey and during the semi-annual discussions. In addition, the board has made a comparative comparison with the statutes of other unions and how it works in various government bodies.
The board has then made an overall assessment based on the material mentioned above. The board's overall assessment is that the proposed amendments to the statutes would entail major restrictions on the democratic process and the personal mandate in JF's personal election system. In addition, the current rules regarding situational conflicts of interest are considered sufficient. In addition, the board considers that the problems pointed out in the motion are largely based on a lack of information and understanding about the organization of the activities and the role of the board. The problems raised therefore mainly constitute shortcomings in transparency and communication rather than shortcomings that should be regulated through amendments to the statutes. Against this background, the board does not propose any changes to the statutes, but will instead continue the work of strengthening transparency within the union adhering to the framework of existing governing documents and working methods. Against this background, the board has developed a number of proposals that have either already been implemented or are currently being considered.
The board welcomes further suggestions on the matter from the association's members. Thoughts and suggestions can be emailed to ordf@jf.se , styrelsen@jf.se or vice@jf.se . Members are also warmly welcome to drop by the office on the second floor of JF to ask questions or make suggestions over a cup of coffee. Our office hours are between 10-12 Tuesday - Friday . Members who want to submit suggestions anonymously can use the “ JF-tipsa ” form on the website!
ACTIONS THAT THE BOARDS REPORT RESULTED IN
Transparency regarding the selection of union officers
The board and the nominating committee have coordinated communication and reviewed the information communicated to members connected to the application process for union officers to ensure that it is correct, relevant and consistent.
The board plans to develop a tab on JF's website that describes the entire process of elections for the association's positions. The intention is to both provide an overview of the process and to address common questions that may arise regarding, for example, application forms, interviews with the nominating committee, nominations, counter-candidates and speeches.
The board will once again arrange a union officer gathering ahead of the spring elections with the aim of making it more accessible for potential candidates to ask questions to union officers.
The board has urged members of the governing assembly to ask factual and serious questions to ensure that applicants do not feel that the selection is based on how good they answer a funny question. This has also been integrated into the education for members of the assembly that is carried out in advance of the union officer elections.
Transparency regarding the nominating committee
The board is working to update the description of the Nominating Committee's mission and composition on the website.
Prior to the work of nominating a Nominating Committee, the Board asked the council members to submit proposals for suitable candidates for the Nominating Committee.
In connection with the General Assembly electing the Nominating Committee, the Board asked the proposed candidates to present themselves before the General Assembly. The members of the General Assembly were then given the opportunity to hear the proposed candidates' presentations and ask questions.
Transparency regarding the board's role and work
The board sees a need to clarify for the members how the board works and what role the board has in the association. The board is therefore working to develop communication measures linked to this. One difficulty that the board has identified is that the board's tasks are extremely varied and that it is therefore difficult to concretize the ongoing work in a representative way. Communication measures that are already in place are stories with "Hänt i Styrelsen", posts on social media with a description of the working groups, information sessions at official seats and reporting during council meetings.
Transparency regarding the general assembly
The board has continued to publish “Hänt i fullmäktige”. A possible development is to also include a reference to the minutes of the general council on the website for those who want to delve into the details.
The Presidium of the General Assembly and the board have jointly revised how the minutes of the meetings are taken with the aim of making the minutes more readable and transparent. The minutes have been supplemented with clearer descriptions of the issues and a description of the meeting process, among other things.
Transparency regarding recruitment of other active members
The board continues to work to ensure that all committees are well-informed about the association's recruitment policy and that it is applied correctly. It is important to maintain this work in the long term so that each new group of officers knows how to proceed.
Enabling increased engagement
During the year, the board has investigated the possibilities of increasing the number of positions for active members where there is interest and scope for meaningful involvement. As a result, for example, the number of positions in Dolu§pexet has been increased by 9 people and the board has established a new committee. The board continues to emphasize the importance of meaningful involvement. Every opportunity for involvement in the association should serve a purpose and the active member should feel that they are contributing.
The board is reviewing the possibility of more centralized marketing of how members can get involved in different parts of JF's operations, for example through a special tab on the website.
Other
The board is working to make it easier to find various documents, such as application decisions and council minutes, as the website has been experienced as difficult to navigate in some respects.
The board is also reviewing the possibility of increasing understanding of JF's various bodies and operational structure, for example through clearer operational descriptions on the website and references to relevant steering documents.
THE MOTION
The motion proposed the following:
that the statute be supplemented with a new paragraph 3 in Chapter 5, Section 3, with the following wording: "A member who is elected as a board member shall immediately resign his or her seat on the council, provided that there is a replacement according to the adjusted voting minutes."
that the statute be supplemented with a new paragraph 4 in Chapter 5, Section 3, with the following wording: "Board members who hold their positions during the current fiscal year may not take up their seats in the newly elected council until the new fiscal year has begun. Substitutes according to the adjusted election minutes shall serve in the member's place until the end of the current fiscal year."
that the statute be supplemented with a new paragraph, Chapter 6, Section 9, with the following wording: "Board members may not simultaneously be active in any of the association's committees. Exceptions may be made if the role as active is not subject to any limitation on the number of participants, if the position cannot be filled by someone else, or if the council decides otherwise."
that the statute be supplemented with a new paragraph, Chapter 6, Section 10, with the following wording: "Board members may not, during the current or after the end of their term of office, run for positions elected by the council in accordance with Chapter 5, Section 8, Section 3. Exceptions may be made for elections to positions that are vacant after the election council has been held."
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