Guidance for the future – precedent
The Supreme Court’s most important task is to set, via its rulings in specific cases, precedents that can serve as guidance for how similar cases are to be assessed in the future by courts and legal practitioners in general. This is usually referred to as the Supreme Court’s precedent setting function.
The Supreme Court tries appeals against the judgments and decisions of the Land and Environment Court of Appeal, the Patent and Market Court of Appeal and the country’s other courts of appeal.
Two parallel courts of highest instance
Sweden’s court organisation has two parallel highest instances. These are the Supreme Court and the Supreme Administrative Court. Both have the main task of giving rulings that provide guidance (i.e. set precedents), but in different areas of the law.
Watch the video about the Supreme Court’s role
(in Swedish)
The film was recorded on the 21st of January 2019 (in Swedish).