The Supreme Court is the highest judicial authority and is a precedent-setting court. Cases can only be appealed to the Supreme Court if strict conditions are met.

The Supreme Court has seven judges. Five judges participate in the hearing of a case at any given time, but seven in particularly important cases. Three judges generally decide on leave to appeal and whether an appeal will be heard.

Landsrettur Appeal Court is a so-called intermediate court, that is, an appeal court that has been appointed between the district courts and the Supreme Court. Landsrettur Appeal Court is located in the capital area but covers the entire country.

Fifteen judges sit at Appeal Court and three judges participate in the handling of cases before the court, with the exceptions prescribed in the Civil Procedure Act and the Criminal Procedure Act. Three judges decide on leave to appeal and whether an appeal will be taken up for consideration.

There are eight District Courts and together they form the lowest level of court. All cases are therefore first decided by one of the district courts.

If certain conditions are met, decisions of the district courts can be appealed to a higher court, then to the National Court and in exceptional cases directly to the Supreme Court. A total of 42 judges sit on the district courts.

The Court on Reopening of cases is a special court that decides whether to allow the reopening of cases that have been decided in the District Court, Landsrettur Appeal Court or the Supreme Court.

The Court on Reopening of cases is located at the Courts and Tribunals Department at Suðurlandsbraut 14, 108 Reykjavík.