 In 1997 she was appointed Minister of Justice and the Police in the cabinet Jagland, replacing Anne Holt who left.Valla left the government in late 1997, when Prime Minister Jagland announced his cabinet's resignation as a result of the 36.9 ultimatum and was replaced by the first cabinet Bondevik.In January 2007 Valla was accused of harassment and of having an authoritarian management style by Ingunn Yssen, who had been the director of the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions's office for international affairs and previously served as Valla's state secretary in the Ministry of Justice.