License to Plead Before the Supreme Court

It is possible to apply for a license to plead before the Supreme Court upon meeting certain conditions.

Conditions

• Must have held the right to plead before the Court of Appeal for three years.

• Must have orally pleaded at least 15 cases before the Court of Appeal, of which at least 10 must be civil cases.

If a lawyer meets these conditions, they can apply for the issuance of a pleading license for the Supreme Court of Iceland, which grants the right to plead before all courts in the country.

Process

Electronic application

The application must include confirmation from the Court of Appeal regarding the pleadings.

Costs

The license fee is ISK 12,000.

Exemptions

• If a lawyer, before January 1, 2018, has completed three test cases before the Supreme Court and obtained the right to plead before the Court of Appeal, they are deemed to meet the requirements for a pleading license for the Supreme Court after having pleaded four cases before the Court of Appeal, of which at least three must be civil cases.

• If a lawyer, before January 1, 2018, has completed two test cases before the Supreme Court and obtained the right to plead before the Court of Appeal, they are deemed to meet the requirements for a pleading license for the Supreme Court after having pleaded eight cases before the Court of Appeal, of which at least five must be civil cases.

• If a lawyer, before January 1, 2018, has completed one test case before the Supreme Court and obtained the right to plead before the Court of Appeal, they are deemed to meet the requirements for a pleading license for the Supreme Court after having pleaded twelve cases before the Court of Appeal, of which at least eight must be civil cases.

Right to Appeal

If the magistrate denies the issuance of the license, that decision can be appealed to the Ministry of Justice.