District Court’s Decision in a Civil Lawsuit

The trial in the district court ends with the court handing down a decision. When handing down a decision, the court may take into account only the trial material that has been presented in the main hearing. The court shall not adjudge more or something else than what has been claimed by a party (burden of allegation), nor shall the judgment be based on a circumstance not referred to by a party in support of their claim or denial (burden of proving an allegation). When evaluating evidence, the court may take into account only the material that has been presented in the main hearing. The decision may be handed down either immediately in oral form after the hearing of the case or later in writing in the chambers, usually within 14 days of the conclusion of the main hearing. In more complex civil cases, the decisions are usually handed down in the chambers. There are three different kinds of judgments accepting the claims: a judgment granting affirmative relief (the defendant is obliged to pay something to the plaintiff, usually money), a declaratory judgment (determines if, for example, a contract between the plaintiff and the defendant is in force) and a judgment modifying rights (for example a divorce).

A party unsatisfied with the decision may appeal against it in a court of appeal in accordance with the instructions given in the appeal notice. If none of the parties appeal against the decision in the time line specified, the decision becomes final, i.e. the decision gains legal force.