Storting

The Storting, or Stortinget, ('the Great Assembly'), is the parliament of Norway, and is located in the capital city Oslo. It sits in the Storting Building which was completed in 1866 and was designed by the architect Emil Victor Langlet.

Qualified Unicameralism

Officially, the Storting is unicameral, but elects a quarter of its membership to form an upper house or Lagting, with the remaining three quarters forming the Odelsting or lower house. Bills are submitted by the Government to the Odelsting first, having been considered by a Standing Committee, and subject to hearings. Only then are they sent to the Lagting for review or revision. If the Odelsting approves the Lagting amendments, then the bill is signed into law by the King. If it does not, then the bill returns to the Lagting. If still no agreement is reached, the Odelsting submits the bill to a plenary session of the Storting. In order to be passed, the bill must have the approval of two-thirds majority of the plenary session.

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A similar system operated in Iceland until 1991.

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