In 1614 King Gustav IV founded a court of appeal called "Hovrätt". That court was meant to be the Supreme Court. But as early as in 1615 established a right to be able to lodge an appeal to the king. As soon as this right of appeal was introduced, the court of appeal became an intermediate instance. In 1623 was Åbo Hovrätt in Åbo, Finland, established and in 1634 Göta Hovrätt in Jönköping, Småland. The court of appeal in Stockholm, Svea Hovrätt, comprised Svealand and the north of Sweden, while Göta Hovrätt in Jönköping comprised Götaland. With the establishment of the courts of appeal, the county councils were of less importance for the administration of justice and lost as time went by entirely this task. Under King Gustav III, another court of appeal was established in Finland called Vasa Hovrätt. In 1820 a court of appeal was established in Kristianstad city for the south provinces of Sweden, Skåne and Blekinge. This court was in 1917 moved to Malmö city.

The court of appeal consisted of juridical educated persons. All criminal cases were risen from the county district court to the court of appeal beside appeal cases. Under the 17th century the court of appeal was composed of a president, vice president and deputy judges. The deputy judges was divided into three classes, the councillor class, the noble class and the learned class consisted of commoners. The councillors were removed in 1719 and it was decided that the two oldest of the deputy judges should have the title "hovrättsråd".

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