Søre Sunnmøre District Court


Søre Sunnmøre District Court is a district court located in the village of Volda in Møre og Romsdal county, Norway. The court serves the southern part of the county which includes the municipalities of Herøy, Sande, Vanylven, Volda, and Ørsta. The court is subordinate to the Frostating Court of Appeal. The court is led by the chief judge Elisabeth Wiik. This court employs a chief judge, two other judges, and three prosecutors.
The court is a court of first instance. Its judicial duties are mainly to settle criminal cases and to resolve civil litigation as well as bankruptcy. The administration and registration tasks of the court include death registration, issuing certain certificates, performing duties of a notary public, and officiating civil wedding ceremonies. Cases from this court are heard by a combination of professional judges and lay judges. Cases from this district court may be appealed to the Frostating Court of Appeal.

History

In 1798, the old Sunnmøre district court was divided into Søre Sunnmøre District Court and Nordre Sunnmøre District Court. The northern area roughly corresponded to the present day Sunnmøre District Court. The name of the northern court was later changed to simply Sunnmøre District Court. In 1967, the municipalities of Ulstein and Hareid were transferred from the Søre Sunnmøre District Court to the Sunnmøre District Court.