Ministry of Justice. From “Miss Smilla’s Feeling for Snow” by Peter Hoeg. “Do you know what the first requirement is for establishing a career in the Ministry of Justice?” “I take a look around. But he seems to be alone. “The first requirement if loyalty. You also had to have a high score on your exams. And a desire to achieve which is far beyond the ordinary. But in the long run, the important thing is whether you were loyal. Common sense was not a prerequisite, on the other hand. Might even be a drawback.” I sit down on a chair. The mechanic leans against the desk. “At some point one had to choose. Some became deputy judges and, eventually, judges. They often had a natural faith in justice, in the system. Faith in the possibility of healing and rebuilding. The rest of us became assistant detectives, investigators, and later assistants to the district attorney. With time, maybe assistant prosecutors. We were the suspicious ones. We believe that a statement, a confusion, an incident was seldom what it purported to be. This suspiciousness was an excellent tool for us. As long as it wasn’t directed at our work or at the Ministry itself. Never must a bureaucrat in the prosecutor’s office doubt that he is right. Any impertinent question from the press must be referred to higher-ups. Any articles you publish with even a hint of criticism – well, virtually any article at all – will be interpreted as disloyalty towards the Ministry. In some ways you no longer exist as an individual in the Ministry of Justice. Most comply with this demand. I can tell you that most people secretly find a relief to have the state divest them of the trouble of being an independent person. The few who can’t comply are separated out at an early stage.”