Company fines can be from five thousand Swedish kronor to ten million Swedish kronor depending on how serious the crime is, the background to the crime, how it occurred and which consequences it has had.

A company can be sentenced to pay a company fine for crime in the company activity ifa

• the company has not done what can be demanded to counteract the crime or
• the crime has been committed by someone in a leading position or
• the crime has been committed by someone in the company who has special responsibility for supervision or control in the activity.

It is the prosecutor or court which decides on a company fine

• either in a criminal court case in the district court or
• in some cases if the amount is not higher than 500 000 Swedish kronor, through an order of summary punishment to the company where the company pleads guilty and pays the fine without a court case.

The company can have the right to a public defender in the court case, that is to say be represented by legal counsel who is then remunerated by the state. If the company is sentenced to pay a fine they have to pay the costs of legal counsel back to the state.

Sometimes the question about company fines for the company is taken up in the same court case as legal action for work environment crime against, for example, persons in the company management. This can lead to

• the company being sentenced to pay company fines
• responsible parties being sentenced to penalties.