skýringarmál

Skýringarmál is an Icelandic legal term referring to a class of proceedings whose purpose was to obtain or issue formal explanations of legal provisions or administrative decisions. The word combines skýr-ing (explanation, clarification) with mál (case, matter). In historical Icelandic law and administration, skýringarmál described processes by which a party could seek clarification from a higher authority—such as a court, an executive office, or a legislative body—on the meaning, application, or interpretation of statutes or decisions. The aim was to resolve ambiguities and promote consistent application of the law.

In practice, skýringarmál covered situations where a decision or statute needed authoritative interpretation to prevent misapplication or to illuminate complex wording. The procedures and exact reach of such cases varied across institutions and historical periods, and the term appears primarily in older legal and administrative writings.

today, the precise designation skýringarmál is rarely used in contemporary Icelandic law. Similar needs are typically addressed through appeals, judicial review, formal opinions, or interpretive rulings rather than through a distinct category labeled as skýringarmál. As a result, the term is largely of historical or scholarly interest, illustrating how legal systems historically structured the clarification of legal norms.

See also: Icelandic law, administrative law, legal terminology, interpretation of statutes.