Marie Benedicte Bjørnland

Marie Benedicte Bjørnland (born 30 April 1965) is a Norwegian lawyer. She was the head of the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) from 2012 to 2019.

Benedicte Bjørnland
Director of the Norwegian Police Security Service
In office
8 June 2012 (2012-06-08) – 29 March 2019
MonarchHarald V
Prime MinisterJens Stoltenberg
Erna Solberg
Preceded byJanne Kristiansen
Succeeded byHans Sverre Sjøvold
Personal details
Born
Marie Benedicte Bjørnland

(1965-04-30) 30 April 1965
Kristiansand, Norway
NationalityNorwegian
OccupationLawyer

She was born in Kristiansand and grew up in Lier and Sandefjord. After obtaining a Master of Law degree from the University of Oslo, she worked as a deputy judge in Skien and Porsgrunn and as a consultant in the Directorate for prices,[1] with most of her career in various positions in the police force, becoming Chief of police in Vestfold in 2007.[2] As part of the latter position, she led the local branch of PST.[3]

After Janne Kristiansen resigned as head of PST in January 2012, Bjørnland was appointed the new leader by Stoltenberg's Second Cabinet on 8 June 2012, being one of six applicants for the position.[2]

She is married with two children and resides in Sandefjord.[4]

In 2016, Marie Bjørnland stated in a radio interview with The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation that being expressively 'anti-Islam' is enough to be considered as 'right-wing extremist' by PST.[5]

References
  1. Tom Bakkeli et al (8 June 2012) Dette er den nye PST-sjefen (in Norwegian) VG
  2. kathrine Hammerstad (8 June 2012) Dette er den nye PST-sjefen (in Norwegian) NRK.
  3. Følger med i tiden (in Norwegian) Politilederen.
  4. Paal Even Nygaard (24 August 2012) Ikke holdepunkter for å si at PST kunne avverget ham (in Norwegian) Sandefjords Blad.
  5. 'Dagsnytt atten' (9 February 2016) (in Norwegian) PST Trusselvurdering
Police appointments
Preceded by
Roger Berg (acting)		 Director of the Norwegian Police Security Service
2012–2019		 Succeeded by
Hans Sverre Sjøvold
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