dómstóls

Dómstóll is the Icelandic term for a court, the public institution charged with interpreting and applying laws and administering justice. The word can refer to a single court or to the judiciary as a whole. In grammar, dómstóll is masculine; the genitive singular is dómstóls, used to indicate possession, as in “rök fyrir dómstóls ákvörðun” or “frá dómstóli.”

Role and function: A dómstóll decides civil, criminal, and administrative disputes within the framework of the constitution and statutory law. It issues judgments, enforces decisions, and provides remedies, including appeals from lower courts to higher ones.

Structure: Iceland’s courts are organized in three main levels: district courts (héraðsdómstólar) are the first instance for most cases; the Court of Appeal (Landsréttur) handles most appellate matters; the Supreme Court (Hæstiréttur) is the highest court. Some cases can involve special tribunals or administrative bodies, but the center of judicial authority lies in these courts.

History and significance: The dómstóll is central to the rule of law in Iceland. The modern system is established by acts of Parliament and the constitution, and it operates independently of the executive branch.