Procedures
The Civil Procedure Act and a three-tier court system since 2018
Civil disputes begin in the District Courts under the Civil Procedure Act. Since 2018 an intermediate Court of Appeal (Landsréttur) sits below the Supreme Court, which now hears cases by leave.
Key rules
- The 2018 reform added Landsréttur as a genuine appeal tier.
- The Supreme Court hears cases only by leave on points of importance.
- Loser-pays cost rules generally apply.
Governing law
- Act on Civil Procedure (Lög um meðferð einkamála)
In practice
The three-tier structure is recent, so older Icelandic case law predates the current appeal route through Landsréttur.