The Norwegian court system
An overview
Introduction
Norway's ordinary court system has a three-tier, hierarchical structure, comprising the district courts at first instance; the courts of appeal which serve as the ordinary appellate courts; and the Supreme Court at the apex.
In addition to the three main tiers, there are mediation bodies with limited jurisdiction in civil cases: The conciliation boards, as well as specialised courts for land consolidation and for disputes between parties to collective agreements concerning the existence, interpretation and validity of such agreements.
The conciliation boards
The conciliation boards are mediation bodies with limited jurisdiction. Their primary function is to resolve disputes involving small claims (i.e. claims of less than NOK 200,000), quickly and cost-effectively through mediation. The boards are composed of lay persons deemed qualified to mediate.
An application for conciliation proceedings is the mandatory first step in small claims proceedings. It is also required in cases involving larger claims where one of the parties is not represented by legal counsel when legal action was initiated. For that reason, the initiation of legal proceedings before the ordinary courts in major commercial disputes may sometimes be delayed for several months pending a conciliation board decision ruling on whether to refer the matter to mediation or to dismiss the case, leaving it to the parties to bring the case to the district court.
Conciliation boards
The district courts
The district courts are the ordinary courts of first instance in the Norwegian court system. There are 28 district courts in Norway as per October 2025, each having jurisdiction over one or more municipalities. The district courts' jurisdiction is full and unlimited in the sense that the district courts may rule on any matter unless specifically exempted by law.
The case is decided after an oral main hearing attended by representatives of the disputing parties, their legal counsel and one judge. If requested by one of the parties, or deemed necessary by the court, the judge shall be accompanied by two expert lay judges. A district court ruling may be appealed to the court of appeal.
District courts
The courts of appeal
The courts of appeal decide on appeals against rulings of the district courts that are seated within the respective court of appeal's circuit. There are six courts of appeal in Norway.
Appeals against interlocutory orders and procedural orders are normally decided on written submissions only. Appeals against judgments, on the other hand, are usually subject to an hearings. The appeal hearing is attended by representatives of the parties, their legal counsel, and the judges. Normally, three professional judges preside over the oral proceedings, but expert lay judges may be appointed if special technical or other specific expertise is required or if requested by the parties.
A court of appeal ruling may be appealed to the Supreme Court.
Courts of appeal
The Supreme Court
The Supreme Court is the highest court in Norway and has nationwide jurisdiction. Unlike in some other countries, the Norwegian Supreme Court operates as one single court in all cases – it is not divided into separate chambers, such as for commercial or administrative disputes. Cases are usually heard by five justices. Cases of particular importance are heard by eleven justices, or in plenary by all 20 Supreme Court justices.
The main role of the Supreme Court is to ensure clarification and development of the law through decisions on matters of principle or significant public importance. Hence, appeals to the Supreme Court require leave.
