He was professor of the History of Law at the faculty of law at Uppsala University 1910–1941, Minister for Education, Culture and Church matters 1914–1917, Foreign Minister 1936, and Justice Minister 1936–1943. Although not the chairman of his party, Westman was without doubt his party's most influential cabinet member.
As a Justice Minister, and as one of the cabinet members with a say in matters of foreign policy during World War II, Westman has been criticized for what some observers have perceived as exaggerated adaptation to Nazi Germany's expected victory in the war, and for a limited respect for the freedom of the press to criticize foreign powers.
Karl Gustaf Westman was the brother of ambassador Karl Ivan Westman.