The administrative and legal unit, so called "härad", consisted of a geographical territory. These units were the basis of the so-called "ledung", a system organising the coastal fleet and so-called "gästning", a system providing the king and his men, with maintenance, when they were visiting the territory. The administration unit of justice and the session was called "häradsting" (in Svealand. before 1250, called "hundareting" and in the costal region "skeppslagsting"). From the beginning, the lawsuit was an oral one. The county district was divided into smaller units called "domkrets", mostly corresponding to one or more parishes. In medieval times there were not any judgement book kept in the county districts.

The towns were organised in a German model. The town council consisted of a chief magistrate and councillors. In Stockholm six chief magistrates and thirty councillors were chosen. A sheriff was selected to look after the king's interests. The town court was called "rådhusrätt" and had to consist of one third of the council.

The town court of Stockholm should, according to the law of King Magnus Eriksson, consist of two chief magistrates and ten councillors together with a sheriff. It was stipulate later, during the 15th century, that all towns should have two chief magistrates and twelve councillors. House-owners where the only ones eligible for the council. In larger towns, there were also a lower level of court, called "Kämnärsrätt". It consisted of the sheriff and two councillors, who judged less serious crimes. Even during the medieval time, the town council kept a judgement book called "tänkebok".

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A chief judge, "häradshövding", conducted the sessions of the district administrative court, which was called "häradsrätt". According to the provincial law, the inhabitant of the district should nominate three persons and then the king should appoint one of these candidates as the chief judge. As the chief judge conducted the sessions, his duty was to interpret the law and give his verdict upon the case. The point at issue was brought to a conclusion in different forms depending on the case. There were three kinds of cases, testimony cases ("vittnesmål"), cases under oath ("dulsmål"), and cases required panel of lay assessors ("nämndmål"). In the testimony, witnesses settled the case. "Dulsmål" was settled under oath. In testimony cases, a panel of lay assessors should settle the point at issue. The panel was chosen for the specific case in the sessions. After the common law was established, these panels became more and more permanent during the whole sessions. In the beginning of the 15th century all cases were considered as cases, which required a panel of lay assessors called "häradsnämnd". The co-called "häradsnämnd" could consist of up to twelve members called "nämndemän". The lay assessors came from different part of the county and were respected and reliable men from the village, chosen to that position of trust. The oldest of these lay assessors got the honorary title "häradsdomare". The lay assessors had to take the oath, the so-called "nämndemännen". The oath valid in 1442 for the lay assessors is still valid in our courts of today.

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In addition to be the court of first instance, the county district was e.g. the forum, where taxes were discussed and approved or disapproved. When taxes were disapproved, the county district came into conflict with the central power. Over the years the balance between this central power and the decentralised power varied. Even in times of autocracy, the king used this decentralised power, when he was into conflict with the council of the realm or the aristocracy. An example on that is when King Karl XI in 1680 carried through the so-called "reduktionen", the reduction, when manors and estates were drawn in to the states property.

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The legislation was originally made up of pagan laws where tribal feuds and deadly feuds probably were considerable features. Later, at the time when the Christianity arrived in Scandinavia the provincial laws and the so-called "edsöreslagarna" were made. The so-called "edsöreslagarna" were special regulations made by the king and his men. These regulations were embodied into the law of the province of Östergötland, the so-called "edsöresbalken". A crime against that special law was imposed on a severe punishment than other laws. In the connection with the facts, that the provinces were more joined into a country and the central power had become stronger, the King Magnus Eriksson's law was founded in 1335. That law was gradually introduced and was practised in all provinces at the end of the 14th century. A special law was founded for the towns. There had been such laws for the towns earlier and the most known of them was the so-called "Björköarätten". This law was originally valid for Birka. "Bjökröarätten" was later also valid for Sigtuna and Stockholm along with a number of towns in the mainland. The separate rural legislation and town legislation remained to the law of 1734. That law was valid for all inhabitants in the country, both for the citizens and the rural population. There where still special stipulations for the towns, e.g. referred to right to the property held by the other party to the marriage and right of inheritance. The legislation of 1734 reduced the significance of the panel of lay assessors, because it stipulated that the panel of lay assessors should be unanimous if their decision should take over the decision of the chief judge, if they disagreed. However, the panel of lay assessors were able to make decisions if the were seven or more members present. To the top