Lagastoðar

Lagastoðar is the plural form of lagastoð, an Icelandic term meaning the legal basis or justification for a person’s action, a public decision, or a right. It refers to the source of authority that legitimizes an act in accordance with law. In practice, lagastoð is derived from statutes, the constitution, regulations, and binding court decisions. The concept is central to administrative and constitutional law, where officials must act within the limits of established lagastoð, and where individuals may challenge decisions lacking proper lagastoð.

Etymology: The term is composed of lag, meaning law, and stoð, meaning support. It underscores that legal authority provides support for actions that affect rights and duties.

Usage: In legal reasoning, arguments are often built around lagastoð. For example, a permit decision must have lagastoð in the relevant act; a government regulation rests on the authority granted by law; in judicial review, a court assesses whether the challenged measure has proper lagastoð.

Relation: Lagastoð is distinct from moral or political justification; it denotes the source and scope of legal power. It may be described as the legal authorization embedded in statute or constitutional rule.

See also: law, statute, constitutional law, administrative law.