EN

Article

Private Creation and Enforcement of Law: A Historical Case

David D. Friedman · Journal of Legal Studies, 8(2) · 1979

Type: Article
Author: David D. Friedman
Identifier: DOI 10.1086/467615

Claims citing this source

3 claims

EstablishedThe Althing, a general assembly for all Iceland, was established at Þingvellir c. 930; its Lögrétta, presided over by the law speaker and made up mainly of chieftains (goðar), made laws, and assembly courts judged disputes.EstablishedIceland 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.DisputedMedieval Iceland is a valid historical model of privately created and privately enforced law, with lessons for modern polycentric legal orders.