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Iceland

Civil law (Nordic)Unitary parliamentary republicReviewed· 2026-08-02
Capital
Reykjavík
Population
390,000
Languages
Icelandic
Currency
ISK
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Iceland · Rights

Rights in Iceland

What the atlas records on rights in Iceland, checked against the primary sources cited below.

Rights

The 1944 Constitution and an Althingi rooted in 930 AD

Reviewed· 2026-08-02

Iceland is a parliamentary republic under the 1944 Constitution, with a directly elected President holding a referendum-triggering veto. The Althingi is among the world's oldest parliaments.

Key rules

  • The President may refuse to sign a bill, which then takes effect but must go to referendum.
  • Amending the Constitution requires two parliaments either side of an election.
  • Courts exercise constitutional review and have struck down statutes.

Governing law

  • Constitution of the Republic of Iceland (1944)

In practice

The presidential veto is rare but real — its use on media and fisheries laws has twice forced national referendums this century.

Sources

Rights

The ECHR incorporated in 1994 and a modern rights chapter

Reviewed· 2026-08-02

Iceland incorporated the ECHR in 1994 and modernised the Constitution's human-rights chapter in 1995. The Althingi Ombudsman oversees the fairness of public administration.

Key rules

  • The ECHR is directly applicable and shaped the 1995 rights reform.
  • The Althingi Ombudsman investigates maladministration on complaint or own initiative.
  • Equality and non-discrimination are protected by both the Constitution and statute.

Governing law

  • Constitution, human-rights chapter (1995)
  • Act on the European Convention on Human Rights (1994)

In practice

A landmark 2018 Strasbourg ruling on the appointment of Landsréttur judges forced Iceland to revisit its judicial-appointment process.

Sources

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