Iceland legal system traces to the Icelandic Commonwealth of 930 to 1262, when law was set by the Althing, an annual assembly that combined judicial and legislative functions; its first codified laws, attributed to the lawspeaker Ulfljotr around 930, closely followed the Gulating laws of Norway. The lawbook Grayas governed until the 1260s, when it was succeeded by Jonsbok, compiled in 1281, which remained the basis of Icelandic law into the twentieth century. Since 1944 Iceland has operated as a representative democracy rather than a popular assembly, with the Althing continuing as the legislature; Icelandic law consists mainly of statutes it adopts, along with orders issued by the Cabinet, and the President and Althing jointly exercise legislative power, the President giving assent by signature and having withheld it only twice between 1944 and 2023. Seventy four local municipalities govern under the Local Authorities Act, and the Ministry of Justice publishes the body of applicable legal rules.
Facts
Partially Attested
Origin YearSource dates the unification only as around the year 930, so the year is approximate. Example Jurisdictions Primary Source of LawStatutes adopted by the Althing 1 Law of Iceland
Filter Results10 entries
Connections
In Legal Family
Source List of national legal systems (Wikipedia)
In Legal System
Legal-system family: Civil Law Family, following the CIA World Factbook and JuriGlobe comparative-law family classification.
Includes
Source Benedikt Bogason - Wikipedia
Source Court of Legislature (Iceland) (Wikipedia)
Source General Penal Code (Iceland) (Wikipedia)
Source Wikipedia: Haukr Erlendsson
Source Oddný Mjöll Arnardóttir (Wikipedia)
Source Wikidata: Olafr Thordarson
Source Wikidata: Páll Hreinsson
Source Skapti Þóroddsson (Wikipedia)
Source Snorri Sturluson - Wikipedia
Source Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi - Wikipedia
Source International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea: ITLOS Members of the Tribunal
Source Úlfljótr (Wikipedia)
In the Other Atlases
Found In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.
Source Law of Iceland - Wikipedia
Sources
1. Law of Iceland - Wikipedia
Current system
Icelandic law consists primarily of statutes adopted by the Althing
History, paragraph 1
Already around the year 930, the chiefs of the different regions of Iceland united into a single polity.
Introduction, jurisdictions using it
Law of Iceland during the Commonwealth (930-1262) was decided by the Alþingi (Althing).
View the SourceWikidata: Olafr Thordarson
Includes: Olafr Thordarson, 1205/1210-1259) was an Icelandic skald and scholar.View the Source Wikipedia: Law of Sweden
In Group: Scandinavian Civil Law Tradition, Scandinavian countries (Sweden Norway and Denmark) together with Finland and Iceland have a special Nordic version of jurisprudenceView the Source Wikipedia: Haukr Erlendsson
Includes: Haukr Erlendsson, LeadQuote, Includes: Haukr Erlendsson, Lead
Haukr or Hauk Erlendsson (died 1334; Modern Icelandic: Haukur Erlendsson [ˈhœyːkʏr ˈɛrˌlɛn(t)sˌsɔːn]) was lawspeaker (lawman) of Iceland, later lawspeaker and knight of Norway, known for having compiled a number of Icelandic sagas and other materials mostly in his own hand, bound in a book called the Hauksbók after him.
Skapti Þóroddsson (Wikipedia)
WikipediaIncludes: Skapti Thoroddsson, LeadQuote, Includes: Skapti Thoroddsson, Lead
Skapti Þóroddsson (Old Norse: [ˈskɑpte ˈθoːrˌodːsˌson]; Modern Icelandic: Skafti Þóroddsson [ˈskaftɪ ˈθouːrˌɔtsˌsɔːn]; died 1030) was an Icelandic lawspeaker and skald.
General Penal Code (Iceland) (Wikipedia)
Includes: General Penal Code (Iceland), Lead sectionQuote, Includes: General Penal Code (Iceland), Lead section
General Penal Code (Icelandic: Almenn hegningarlög) governs the criminal law in Iceland.
Court of Legislature (Iceland) (Wikipedia)
Includes: Court of Legislature (Iceland), Lead sectionQuote, Includes: Court of Legislature (Iceland), Lead section
The Court of Legislature (Icelandic: Lögrétta [ˈlœɣˌrjɛhta], Old Norse: Lǫgrétta [ˈlɒɣˌreːtːa] "law-right") was a legislature and high court established in Iceland in the year 930 during the period of the Icelandic Commonwealth.
Snorri Sturluson - Wikipedia
Includes: Snorri Sturluson, Wikipedia lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Snorri Sturluson, Wikipedia lead sentence
was an Icelandic historian
Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi - Wikipedia
Includes: Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi, Wikipedia lead sentenceQuote, Includes: Thorgeir Ljosvetningagodi, Wikipedia lead sentence
was an Icelandic jurist who served as a lawspeaker in Ic
List of national legal systems (Wikipedia)
In Legal Family: Civil Law, Section: Civil lawQuote, In Legal Family: Civil Law, Section: Civil law
Iceland
Wikidata: Páll Hreinsson
Includes: Pall Hreinsson, Wikipedia category: 21st-century Icelandic judgesView the Source Úlfljótr (Wikipedia)
Includes: Úlfljótr, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Úlfljótr, Introduction
Úlfljótr (Old Norse: [ˈuːlvˌljoːtr]; Modern Icelandic: Úlfljótur [ˈulvˌljouːtʏr̥]) was an Icelandic jurist who brought law to Iceland and is regarded by some as Iceland's first lawspeaker.
Benedikt Bogason - Wikipedia
Includes: Benedikt Bogason, IntroductionQuote, Includes: Benedikt Bogason, Introduction
Benedikt Bogason is an Icelander judge who has served as justice of Supreme Court of Iceland since October 1, 2012 and its president since January 1, 2022.
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea: ITLOS Members of the Tribunal
International Tribunal for the Law of the SeaIncludes: Tomas Heidar, Members: current composition of the TribunalQuote, Includes: Tomas Heidar, Members: current composition of the Tribunal
President Tomas Heidar (Iceland)
Oddný Mjöll Arnardóttir (Wikipedia)
Includes: Oddný Mjöll Arnardóttir, LeadQuote, Includes: Oddný Mjöll Arnardóttir, Lead
Oddný Mjöll Arnardóttir (born 16 January 1970) is an Icelandic lawyer, human rights academic and judge, first female judge at the European Court of Human Rights with respect to Iceland since 2023.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.
View At A Past Year
Choose a year to see this entry's facts and connections as the atlas records them at that moment: what it held then, what it held instead, and what it had not yet adopted. Choose Present for the current record.