Law of Norway

Norwegian law is a civil law system whose highest source is the Constitution of May 17, 1814, adopted by the Constituent Assembly at Eidsvoll, building on an older tradition that includes the Code of the Norwegian Realm issued by King Magnus VI in 1274, followed by a city law in 1276. The Supreme Court of Norway, made up of twenty justices, is the highest judicial authority, and unlike many civil law systems Norway places a very high value on judge made law, particularly in private law, where the Supreme Court has driven much of the field development. Norwegian law remains largely uncodified; a project to codify it that ran from 1953 to 1999 was eventually abandoned. Norwegian law is also extensively harmonized with international and European standards through Norway participation in the European Economic Area, even as it keeps distinctive rules in areas such as contract formation, commercial agency and construction law.