In its justification for the nomination, the Faculty of Law stated, among other things:
"In her thesis, Julia Björverud examined how the Swedish principle of public access to official records has been handled by legislators during the period 1809–1980. The principle of public access to official records has been given a special status in legislation and has become a central part of Swedish legal identity.
The history of the principle of public access has often been invoked as an argument in legislative work, but also in many other contexts. Through her thesis, Julia Björverud has highlighted that there have been many more nuances in the understanding of what should be public and what should not. In this way, she has made an outstanding contribution to research in jurisprudence with a clear link to the humanities."
The prize money is SEK 10,000 and will be awarded at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences' annual ceremony on 27 November.