Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case
David D. Friedman — Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case (1979)David D. Friedman · 1979 · ArticleEstablishedSource attached · not independently reviewedCLM-0104 · as of 2026-10-23 · about: Icelandic Commonwealth (Þjóðveldið) · Author: Polity Atlas editorial team
“Iceland had no central executive: courts judged cases but injured parties enforced judgments themselves, with outlawry for those who did not pay fines; chieftaincies could be bought, shared or inherited, and farmers could change the chieftain they followed.”
Evidence that supports
2Governmental Order in Early Medieval Iceland
Jesse L. Byock — Governmental Order in Early Medieval Iceland (1986)Jesse L. Byock · 1986 · Article · section on chieftains and farmersEvidence that contradicts
0No counter-evidence recorded.
Status history
No earlier revisions.
Disputes
No disputes have been filed.