hovrätter

Swedish court

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 29, 2026

Quick Summary

The term "hovrätter" refers to the intermediate courts of appeal in Sweden's three-tiered judicial system. These courts are part of a hierarchy that includes district courts (tingsrätter) at the lowest level and the Supreme Court (högsta domstolen) at the highest.1

In the six Swedish courts of appeal, cases are decided by a panel of three or four judges. Appeals can be brought to the Supreme Court only if the case is deemed significant for the interpretation of law. This system of appeals allows for the review of lower court decisions, ensuring that justice is administered and that legal interpretations are consistent.12

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Sweden
Justice
…intermediate courts of appeal (hovrätter), and the Supreme Court (högsta domstolen). District courts play the dominant role. A peculiar feature of these courts is a panel of lay assessors (nämndemän), who take part in the main hearings, primarily on more serious criminal and family cases. In such cases, the…
Read More
…intermediate courts of appeal (hovrätter), and the Supreme Court (högsta domstolen). District courts play the dominant role. A peculiar feature of these courts is a panel of lay assessors (nämndemän), who take part in the main hearings, primarily on more serious criminal and family cases. In such cases, the…
Read More