Supreme Court of Iceland
Encyclopedia
The Supreme Court of Iceland (Hæstiréttur Íslands) holds the highest judicial power in Iceland. It is the oldest court of law in Iceland and the higher of the two court branches, while the District Courts of Iceland are the lower. Nine judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...

s sit in the court and hold command over the President of Iceland
President of Iceland
The President of Iceland is Iceland's elected head of state. The president is elected to a four-year term by universal adult suffrage and has limited powers. The president is not the head of government; the Prime Minister of Iceland is the head of government. There have been five presidents since...

 in accordance with proposals from the minister of justice. The court is not mentioned by name in the constitution of Iceland
Constitution of Iceland
The Constitution of Iceland is the supreme law of Iceland. It is composed of 80 articles in seven sections, and within it the leadership arrangement of the country is determined and the human rights of its citizens are preserved. The current constitution was first instituted on June 17, 1944; since...

 but is validated in lög um dómstóla nr. 15/1998. The Supreme Court of Iceland is located at Lindargötu 2 in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...

, in a building that was specially built for that purpose and that came into use in 1996.

For cases where members of the Cabinet
Cabinet of Iceland
The Cabinet of Iceland is the chief executive body of the Republic of Iceland. It consists of the Prime Minister of Iceland and the cabinet ministers....

 are suspected of criminal behavior, the Landsdómur
Landsdómur
The Landsdómur is a special court in Iceland which was established in 1905 with the mandate to handle cases where members of the Cabinet are suspected of criminal behavior....

, which includes the Supreme Court justices, sits instead of the Supreme Court.]

The Court was founded under Act No. 22/1919 and held its first session on 16 February 1920. Previously, the Landsyfirréttur had been the highest domestic court, but one was permitted to appeal to the Supreme Court of Denmark
Courts of Denmark
The Danish Supreme Court is the highest civil and criminal court responsible for the administration of justice in Denmark. The Kingdom of Denmark, consisting of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, does not have a single unified judicial system – Denmark has one system, Greenland another, and...

 in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...

. The establishment of the Supreme Court moved the final word in Icelandic cases home to Iceland.

External links

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