Kjennelse

Kjennelse is a Norwegian legal term referring to a formal decision issued by a court or other competent authority. It designates an interlocutory or procedural ruling rather than a final judgment on the merits of a case. Kjennelser are common in civil and criminal proceedings and can cover issues such as jurisdiction, service of process, admission or exclusion of evidence, postponement of a hearing, or interim measures.

A kjennelse may be issued in writing by a judge or, in some contexts, by a magistrate or administrative official, and may sometimes be pronounced orally with a written record prepared afterward. It typically states the ruling and the legal basis for the decision within the framework of procedural law, though some procedural kjennelser may be brief and decision-focused. Depending on the statute or court rules, some kjennelser can be appealed or brought before a higher court, while others are not subject to ordinary appeal.

In addition to its formal legal meaning, the word kjennelse can in everyday Norwegian also refer to recognition or acknowledgment of a right, status, or claim, though in most legal contexts the term is linked to an official decision by an authority rather than a mere assertion.

The concept is closely related to the broader procedural structure of Norwegian jurisprudence, where cases may progress from procedural rulings (kjennelser) to a final judgment (dom). The distinction between a kjennelse and a dom is central to understanding how disputes are managed through the judicial system.