Iceland’s Supreme Court is the highest court in the country’s judicial system, which has three instances or levels. The first (lowest) of these consists of the eight district courts (héraðsdómar), each of which has jurisdiction in its own region; the second is the Court of Appeals (Landsréttur), the jurisdiction of which extends over the whole country. Details of the organisation of the judiciary, the appointment of judges, etc., are set out in the Judiciary Act, No. 50/2016, in addition to which the independence of the judiciary is guaranteed in the Constitution of the Republic of Iceland, No. 33/1944.

The bench of the Supreme Court consists of seven judges, who elect the president and vice-president of the court for terms of five years. Cases are heard by five judges, though the president of the court may decide to have all seven sit on particularly important cases. Pleading normally takes place orally, in sittings that are open to the public.

President
Benedikt Bogason.

Vice-president
Sigurður Tómas Magnússon.

Appeal may only be brought before the Supreme Court when permission is granted by the court itself. Conditions for the leave to appeal are set out in law and include whether a case is likely to have precedent value or involves particularly important interests of the party seeking to bring an appeal. Appeals may also be permitted if the process of the case at the lower judicial levels was grossly inadequate or the conclusion reached by the Court of Appeals manifestly incorrect. Appeals may be brought before the Supreme Court in both civil and criminal cases; in criminal cases, the Supreme Court does not review the assessment by the Court of Appeals of the evidential value of oral evidence.

Appeals may be lodged with the Supreme Court against judgments by the Court of Appeals; it is also possible to refer district court judgments directly to the Supreme Court, subject to the condition that the case in question will have precedent value or will be of great significance for the community. Other conditions are that it will not be necessary to examine witnesses or to assess the value of the oral evidence heard by the district court. Appeal licences are also not granted if specialist expertise will be necessary to judge the case. Where any of these circumstances apply, the case must go before the Court of Appeals, where oral evidence is heard and expert co-judges may be called in.

The Supreme Court receives 150-200 appeal applications and judges 50-60 cases of various types each year. Decisions on appeal applications are published here on the home page.