law of Uppland

The "law of Uppland" refers to the provincial laws recorded in writing for the Swedish province of Uppland, dating from the late 13th century. These laws were part of a broader system of Scandinavian customary law that developed before the unification of Scandinavian kingdoms.1

Before written laws, legal systems in districts like Uppland were based on customs and upheld by popular assemblies called things. The laws of Uppland, compiled in 1296, are among the earliest recorded provincial laws in Sweden. These early codes encompassed private law, constitutional and administrative law, and criminal law, though they generally excluded ecclesiastical law.1

Uppland itself was a significant region in early Swedish history, serving as a principal settlement during the Bronze Age and later becoming the heart of the Swedish empire. It also became the seat of an archbishopric with the advent of Christianity.2