Civil Cases
The district court is the second tier in most civil cases, the first tier being the conciliation board (forliksråd). Certain cases cannot be held at the conciliation board, including family law, patent and trademark issues, cases against the authorities, and cases where an independent complaints committee has issued an opinion. In addition, larger cases where both sides are representad by attorneys, and other cases where extrajudicial mediation have take place, may bypass the conciliation board and go straight to the district court. The district court also hears appeals from the conciliation board.
Civil cases are normally held before a single professional judge, but either side can demand two lay judges be seated as well. In some cases the law demands that there be two lay judges with competence in the subject matter.
Read more about this topic: District Court (Norway)
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