Rétturinn

Rétturinn is the definite form of the Icelandic noun réttur and can denote the law, justice, or a right/entitlement depending on context. In legal discussion, rétturinn often refers to the body of law or the system of justice. In everyday language, the word more commonly signals a right or entitlement, as in phrases about having a right to something. The abstract notion of justice is also expressed with this term in philosophical or political debate.

Etymology and sense: The word derives from Old Norse and is related to the general Old Norse term for fairness and law. In Icelandic, the range of meanings reflects the close connection between law, rights, and justice in the language.

Usage in context: In modern Icelandic law, hygged together with phrases like lögin and réttarreglur, retturinn denotes the legal order and its institutions. The concept of a right, as in civil or human rights, is formed with rettur and related forms, and phrases such as retturinn til lífs illustrate how rights are discussed within constitutional and human-rights discourse.

Historical background: Iceland’s legal tradition developed in the medieval Commonwealth with customary laws compiled in Grágás and was later structured by the Alþingi, one of the oldest parliaments. The contemporary legal system rests on codified statutes and the Constitution of Iceland (Stjórnarskrá Íslands), adopted in 1944 after independence, together with ongoing legal reforms.

Related topics include the Alþingi, Grágás, the Icelandic judiciary (dómstólar), and the Constitution.