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Odd Einar Dørum

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Odd Einar Dørum
Minister of Justice and the Police
In office
19 October 2001 – 17 October 2005
Prime MinisterKjell Magne Bondevik
Preceded byHanne Harlem
Succeeded byKnut Storberget
In office
15 March 1999 – 17 March 2000
Prime MinisterKjell Magne Bondevik
Preceded byAud Inger Aure
Succeeded byHanne Harlem
Minister of Transport and Communications
In office
17 October 1997 – 15 March 1999
Prime MinisterKjell Magne Bondevik
Preceded bySissel Rønbeck
Succeeded byDag Jostein Fjærvoll
Member of the Storting
In office
1 October 1997 – 30 September 2009
DeputyHelene Falch Fladmark
Trine Skei Grande
Alvhild Hedstein
ConstituencyOslo
In office
1 October 1977 – 30 September 1981
ConstituencySør-Trøndelag
Leader of the Liberal Party
In office
13 March 1992 – 6 April 1996
Preceded byHåvard Alstadheim
Succeeded byLars Sponheim
In office
3 April 1982 – 5 April 1986
Preceded byHans H. Rossbach
Succeeded byArne Fjørtoft
Personal details
Born (1943-10-12) 12 October 1943 (age 81)
Oslo, Norway
Political partyLiberal
Spouse
Randi Gerd Øverland
(m. 1968)
Children2

Odd Einar Dørum (born 12 October 1943)[1] is a Norwegian former politician and former member of parliament, representing the Liberal Party. He was leader of the party on two occasions (1982–1986 and 1992–1996) and served as minister in Kjell Magne Bondevik's both cabinets from 1997 to 2000 and again from 2001 to 2005.

Career

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Dørum grew up in Oslo, Bergen, and Trondheim, where he studied history at university.[1] He was a member of Venstre's youth organization (Unge Venstre), and from 1970 to 1972 was its leader.[1] He was a city councillor in Trondheim while working as a social worker.[1]

Dørum was a member of parliament from 1977 to 1981 and was re-elected in 1997.[1] He was Minister of Transport and Communications from 17 October 1997 to 15 March 1999, then Minister of Justice until 17 March 2000. He was again Minister of Justice in the second government of Kjell Magne Bondevik from 2001 to 2005. He served four terms as an elected member of the Norwegian Parliament (Stortinget) (1977–1981, 1997–2001, 2001–2005, and 2005–2009). He did not seek re-election in the 2009 election.

He was the leader of the Liberal Party from 1982 to 1986 and again from 1992 to 1996.[1]

Despite becoming an experienced Minister of Justice, Dørum himself had a run-in with the law in his youth. He participated in a non-violent civil disobedience protest in Mardøla, Norway in 1970.[1] Protesting against the government turning several waterfalls into powerplants, he was carried away by police together with other prominent protestors like philosopher Arne Næss.[1] This marked the first time civil disobedience was used to protect the environment in Norway.

Dørum is known as a very grounded person, and unlike most politicians his age he does not take himself very seriously. For decades he has been a huge fan of The Lord of the Rings books and made headlines when he showed up for the premiere of The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King wearing a hobbits robe, much to the amusement of its star Viggo Mortensen. He later donned the same outfit again in an outdoor Lord of the Rings concert in Frognerparken in Oslo in 2005.

Dørum is a Christian of part German-Jewish descent on his mother's side.[2] He lives in Oslo, married to Randi Gerd Øverland and has two children.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Sjavik, Jan (2010) The A to Z of Norway, Scarecrow Press, ISBN 978-0810872134, p. 60
  2. ^ https://nbl.snl.no/Odd_Einar_D%C3%B8rum Norsk biografisk leksikon
[edit]
Political offices
Preceded by Norwegian Minister of Justice and the Police
2001–2005
Succeeded by
Preceded by Norwegian Minister of Justice and the Police
1999–2000
Succeeded by
Preceded by Norwegian Minister of Transport and Communications
1997–1999
Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Chairman of the Norwegian Liberal Party
1992–1996
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of the Norwegian Liberal Party
1982–1986
Succeeded by
Preceded by Chairman of Young Liberals of Norway
1970–1972
Succeeded by