Landsrétturs

Landsréttur, meaning “Court of Appeal” in Icelandic, is the intermediate appellate court in the Icelandic judiciary. It sits between the district courts (héraðsdómar) and the Supreme Court (Hæstiréttur Íslands) as the second instance for civil and criminal cases appealed from the district courts. The court reviews decisions on appeal, examining questions of law and, where applicable, the factual findings as permitted by Icelandic procedure. Its judgments can be appealed to the Supreme Court on points of law, subject to leave to appeal.

Landsréttur was established as part of judicial reforms in the early 2010s to create a dedicated appellate chamber and reduce the burden on the Supreme Court. The court began operating in 2012. It is headquartered in Reykjavík and handles cases from across the country. The court is composed of professional judges appointed by the President of Iceland on the recommendation of Alþingi (the Icelandic Parliament). Decisions are typically made by panels of three judges, with larger panels used for more complex matters or on request.

Functionally, Landsréttur serves to ensure consistency in the application of law and to provide a more accessible route to appellate review than directly appealing to the Supreme Court. It also handles certain administrative or specialized matters as provided by statute, within its jurisdiction as the primary second-instance court in Iceland’s judiciary.