Gullik Fjordbo

Topic for the doctoral thesis

The doctoral thesis examines the rights of the Sámi in land-use matters, with particular emphasis on wind power and legal requirements concerning participation, knowledge, and protection. The analysis encompasses both specific decisions concerning development projects or the protection of uncultivated land and strategies and plans that set the framework for, or otherwise guide, subsequent decisions.

These issues have a long history. After the authorities proposed flooding the Sámi village of Máze in 1968 as part of the development of the Alta–Kautokeino watercourse, the conflict between large-scale energy development and Sámi interests came to the fore in Norway. Today, this conflict is particularly evident in the Sámi Parliament’s lawsuit against the Norwegian state over the electrification of Melkøya as part of the Norwegian Government’s power and industry initiative for Finnmark and in court cases concerning wind power and electricity transmission infrastructure in areas used for reindeer husbandry.

These conflicts illustrate the thesis’s general research question: How should public authorities safeguard Sámi interests in land-use matters? Sámi interests may relate to activities such as reindeer husbandry, hunting, trapping, fishing, gathering, and farming; to the preservation of Sámi cultural heritage sites and cultural environments; and to new opportunities for local value creation that may help counteract depopulation. These interests may be affected in matters concerning, among other things, transport, mining, energy supply, data centres, other infrastructure and industrial development, holiday-home development, defence and emergency preparedness, and the protection of uncultivated land.

The project is financed by FME NorthWind, a research centre for wind power with funding from The Research Council of Norway, the industry and research institutions.

Teaching

• Held the lecture regarding environmental impact assessments and Sámi rights in resource and consession law spring 2024 and spring 2025 (JUS5424)
• Held the lecture regarding the Sámi rights in property from autumn 2023 to spring 2025 (JUS1211)
• Held the lecture regarding the Sámi human rights in public administrative law from autumn 2023 to spring 2025 (JUS2211)
• Held courses in public administrative law from spring 2023 to autumn 2024 (JUS2211)

Background

• 2022–2026: Doctoral Research Fellow at the Scandinavian Institute of Maritime Law, Department of Energy and Resources Law
• 2022–2022: Associate at Advokatfirmaet BAHR AS, Department of Environment and Energy
• 2021–2022: Research assistant at the Scandinavian Institute of Maritime Law, Department of Energy and Resources Law
• 2018–2020: Legal advisor at Huseierne
• 2016–2022: Master's degree in Law

Publications and media contributions

• Rett24, Førdefjorden og lojalitetsplikten i EØS-avtalen, 7^th July 2026, with Torkell Sætervadet
• Gullik Fjordbo and Torkell Sætervadet, «Har Høyesteretts avgjørelser selvstendig EØS-rettslig betydning?», Jussens Venner, 2026 p. 64–86 (https://doi.org/10.18261/jv.61.1-2.4)
• Rett24, Høyesterettsprejudikater krever minst fem dommere, 17^th November 2025, with Torkell Sætervadet
• Rett24, På tide å stramme inn bruken av prejudikatsbegrepet, 5^th November 2025, with Torkell Sætervadet
• Gullik-André Fjordbo and Torkell Sætervadet, «Har regjeringen rett til å opptre i straffesaker i Høyesterett?», Lov og Rett, 2025 p. 440–444 (https://doi.org/10.18261/lor.64.6.6)
• Energiwatch, Stortinget vedtok realitetsbehandling – Davvi står fortsatt på vent, 12^th June 2025
• Ingvild Ånestad and Gullik-André Fjordbo, «National report: Norway» in Energy solidarity and energy security – from green transition to the EU’s crisis management. XXXI FIDE Congress | Katowice 2025 Congress Publications Vol. 3, p. 496–507 (https://doi.org/10.31261/PN.4296)
• Gullik-André Fjordbo and Torkell Sætervadet, «Har avgjørelser fra Høyesteretts ankeutvalg prejudikatsvirkning?», Jussens Venner, 2025 p. 49–86 (https://doi.org/10.18261/jv.60.2.3)
• Rett24, Eksklusive metoderegler for deler av Høyesterett?, 4^th February 2025, with Torkell Sætervadet
• Rett24, Alle skal ha tilgang til de samme rettsreglene, 22^th January 2025, with Torkell Sætervadet
• Gullik-André Fjordbo og Torkell Sætervadet, «Prejudikatsvirkningen av Høyesteretts traktattolkninger», Jussens Venner, 2024 p. 289–328 (https://doi.org/10.18261/jv.59.4.3)
• Saltenposten, Toppledere kan ha vært inhabile i laksetrapp-saken, 14^th October 2024
• Energiwatch, Jussekspert om Davvi: – Mindre betenkelig å gjennomføre utsilingsprosessen kun for prosjekter som ikke var omsøkt, 6^th September 2024
• Europower, Jussekspert: NVEs Finnmark-prosess kan være i strid med loven, 8^th August 2024
• Klassekampen, Bør regjeringen lytte til EU? 16^th April 2024, with Ingvild Ånestad and Torkell Sætervadet
• NRK, Dagsnytt 18, Aksjoner mot Fosen-dommen, 11^th Oktober 2023
• Khrono, Likestillings­loven må etterleves av både departementet og NTNU, 4^th August 2023
• Dagens Næringsliv, Kjønnspoengene på Indøk er trolig ulovlige, 30^th July 2023
• Rett24, Staten ga en stor fordel til utbygger i forhandlingene med reineierne på Fosen, 27^th March 2023
• VG, Nye utredninger er ikke en omkamp i Fosen-saken, 14^th March 2023
• Dagens Næringsliv, Neppe slutt for all vindkraft i reinbeiteområder, 7^th March 2023
• MarIus (2022), Hensynet til reindriften i vindkraftsaker: I hvilken grad ivaretar reglene om konsesjon og ekspropriasjon hensynet til reindriften i vindkraftsaker?