The court has 16 justices. As a rule, two of these serve in the Council on Legislation. Service in the Council on Legislation is usually for one year at a time. The 14 adjudicating justices are divided into two divisions. One of these is led by the President of the Supreme Court and the other by a chief divisional justice.
Supreme Court rulings that are intended to provide guidance are normally tried by five justices. However, most decisions relate to taking a position on whether leave to appeal shall be granted. Cases involving “extraordinary remedies” are also a not insignificant part of the court’s decision-making. All cases are presented by a judge referee or a drafting law clerk.
Vacancies for Justices of the Supreme Court are advertised on the Swedish Courts website. Applicants must satisfy particularly stringent requirements in respect of legal knowledge, powers of analysis, written and verbal expression, judgment and independence. There is the ambition that the justices should complement each other by being lawyers with different types of experience from the various fields of legal practice.
