Revisorers legitimitet och skadeståndsansvar
In September 2008, a proposition to limit auditors? liability for statutory audit was launched by a Swedish Government official report. Auditors? legal liability in this respect has been joint and unlimited for more than 60 years in Sweden. By using a qualitative literature study method, this paper aims at discovering how the proposed change in legal liability affects the legitimacy of auditors in Sweden. The study shows that different interest groups have different views on what constitutes auditors? legitimacy, among which legal liability is one. We argue that the proposed change in auditor liability regimes will initially have a negative impact on auditors? legitimacy in the eyes of those who have an interest in the statutory audit, i.e. the users of financial statements. In the long run it is however plausible that this effect will fade out. Furthermore, we believe that the relation between the auditors and the Directors of the companies will be different from today. While the auditors? liability for statutory audit decreases, the Directors? liability for the financial reporting increases. Thereby the Directors will be more dependent on the auditors? advice on accounting issues, instead of forward looking consulting services. This means that Directors will see auditors in a way that is more similar to the way external users traditionally have viewed auditors.