domstolsväsendet

Domstolsväsendet, or the Swedish judiciary, is the system of courts and related bodies responsible for applying Swedish law. It handles civil, criminal, and administrative matters and is designed to operate independently of the government in its adjudication.

The system comprises two parallel tracks: general jurisdiction and administrative jurisdiction. General jurisdiction includes district courts (tingsrätt) as the courts of first instance and courts of appeal (hovrätt) for appellate review, with the Supreme Court (Högsta domstolen) as the final appellate court. Administrative jurisdiction is made up of administrative courts (förvaltningsrätt) and administrative courts of appeal (kammarrätt), with the Supreme Administrative Court (Högsta förvaltningsdomstolen) as the final authority on administrative law. In many cases, lay judges (nämndemän) participate in panels alongside professional judges.

The system is administered by the National Courts Administration (Domstolsverket), under the Ministry of Justice. While the courts are independent in their judgments, Domstolsverket provides funding, support, training, and coordination to ensure uniform administration and operation across the country. The judiciary also includes specialized tribunals in certain areas, such as patents and market cases, for which the Patent- och marknadsdomstolen (Patent and Market Court) within Stockholm handles relevant matters.

Access to the system typically starts in a district court; decisions can be appealed to a court of appeal, and further appeals may go to the Supreme Court for general questions or to the Supreme Administrative Court for administrative matters, subject to eligibility. The Domstolsväsendet emphasizes consistent interpretation of law, judicial independence, and equal access to justice across Sweden.