Hovrätt
Hovrätt (Finnish: 'Hovioikeus') (literally "Royal Court") was the highest judicial body in Sweden until King Gustav III founded the Supreme Court of Sweden in 1789. Today, these courts function mostly as appellate courts. They are the second highest general courts in both Sweden and Finland, and both countries have six of them.
The first hovrätt, Svea hovrätt, was founded 1614 in Stockholm. In Finland, then a part of Sweden, the court in Turku was founded in 1623 by Gustavus Adolphus, mainly because it was difficult to travel from Finland to Stockholm.
During the imperial era, additional courts of appeal were introduced in order to relieve the original Svea hovrätt. Göta Court of Appeal was the second such court in Sweden proper, established in Jönköping in 1634. It was preceded by the court in Turku (1623) and the court in Tartu (1630), cities which during this era was part of the dominions of Sweden.
Current appellate courts
These are the current courts of appeal in Swedish and Finnish judiciary:
Sweden
| Name | Seat |
|---|---|
| Svea Court of Appeal | Stockholm |
| Göta Court of Appeal | Jönköping |
| Scania and Blekinge Court of Appeal | Malmö |
| Court of Appeal for Western Sweden | Gothenburg |
| Court of Appeal for Southern Norrland | Sundsvall |
| Court of Appeal for Northern Norrland | Umeå |
Finland
- Turun hovioikeus/Åbo hovrätt, founded in 1623
- Vaasan hovioikeus/Vasa hovrätt, founded in 1775
- Itä-Suomen hovioikeus/Östra Finlands hovrätt, former Viipurin hovioikeus/Viborgs hovrätt (now in Kuopio), founded in 1839
- Helsingin hovioikeus/Helsingfors hovrätt, founded in 1952
- Kouvolan hovioikeus/Kouvola hovrätt, founded in 1978
- Rovaniemen hovioikeus/Rovaniemi hovrätt, founded in 1979
See also
External links