Originally from Enforcement of Money Judgments

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I. PRESENT ATTITUDE TOWARD ENFORCEMENT OF FOREIGN MONEY JUDGMENTS

A. Receptiveness Toward Enforcement of Foreign Money Judgments

Norwegian law does not automatically accept foreign judgments as a direct basis for enforcement, but in practice there are so many exceptions that permit it as to make direct enforceability of foreign judgments the practical rule for judgments from many jurisdictions:

A.1 Treaties

Norway has ratified the Lugano conventions. 

The Lugano conventions are “parallel conventions” (between most of the European Economic Area countries (Norway, Switzerland and Iceland, but not Lichtenstein) and the EU) to the Brussels Jurisdiction and Enforcement Convention (in the EU) of 1968, now the Brussels I Regulation, Regulation (EU) no 1215/2012. 

The first Lugano convention (1988) was enacted as law and entered into force in Norway in 1994. 

The second Lugano convention (2007) entered into force for Norway on 1.1.2010.

After Brexit, the Lugano convention does not apply to the United Kingdom for disputes raised before the courts after the Brexit disengage¬ment period ending on 31 December 2020. However, by a bilateral agreement between the UK and Norway of 20 October 2020, the prior (pre-Lugano convention) bilateral convention of 12 June 1961 has been “resurrected” (until possible re-joining of the UK to the Lugano convention). This 1961 convention allows for direct enforcement in the other country of final decisions in commercial/monetary matters. 

Norway has not ratified the Hague Convention on Foreign Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters (1971), the Hague Choice of Court Convention (2005) or the Hague Judgments Convention (2019).