u, f.

I. ‘law-mending,’ an ordinance; þat væri góð lögrétta er konungrinn gaf um konunglega refsing, Sks. 670.

II. as a law term, the name of the legislature of the Icel. Commonwealth, either from rétta lög, to make the law right, or perh. better from rétt, a fence, qs. a law-fence, law-yard, law-court, from being held within the sacred circle, called vé-bönd; for the word is used of the place as well as of the body sitting there, e. g. ganga til lögréttu, to proceed to the l., Nj. 150.

2. in the Norse law, as also in Iceland after the union with Norway, lögrétta was the public court of law held during the general assembly (þing), and presided over by the lagman; the members (lögréttu menn) were delegated from all the counties represented in the assembly, see N. G. L. ii. 10 sqq., as also Jb. Þingfara-balk, ch. 2.

3. in the Icel. Commonwealth the lögrétta was the legislative held during the althing on the lögbergi (q. v.), and consisted of the forty-eight Goðar (see goði); it was presided over by the lögsögu-maðr (see lögmaðr), and controlled all laws and licences (ráða lögum ok lofum), and was the supreme power in the land; for its power, composition, and duties, see esp. Íb. ch. 5, Grág. passim, esp. the Lögréttu-þáttr or section of the lögrétta, the Þingskapa-þáttr, the Njála, and the Sagas passim; of mod. writers, Maurer’s Beiträge, Dasent’s Introduction to Burnt Njál.

COMPDS: lögréttufé, lögréttumaðr, lögréttuseta, lögrettuskipan, lögréttuþáttr.