Oslo - The Norwegian supreme court Thursday overturned a 30- day jail term for a man who in 2005 rammed a cream cake against the back of the head of Finance Minister Kristin Halvorsen. John Waagaard was sentenced by a district court a year ago for the attack staged in October 2005 on Halvorsen's first day at work in what Waagaard said was a political protest.
Halvorsen had arrived for work when she was told somebody "wanted to give her a cake." She stepped out of the ministry building, and did not suspect anything was amiss until Waagaard unpacked the cake.
Waagaard, a business student, said at the time he had wanted to spark a public debate on the criteria for serving in the cabinet.
A heated legal debate has raged over the legality of the initial court ruling.
The supreme court said while the section used in the sentencing was correct, the lower court had not clarifed if Waagard had intended to delay the minister from performing her duties or not.
It was not immediately known if the state prosecutor would seek a new trial.
Halvorsen, leader of the Socialist Left Party, was the first woman to be appointed to the post in Norway. Her party is part of the tripartite coalition led by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg of the Labour Party.
