Background
Årstad was born in Stavanger as a son of merchant Edvard Årstad and his wife Signe Amalie Torjusen.
politician member of the Parliament of Norway
Årstad was born in Stavanger as a son of merchant Edvard Årstad and his wife Signe Amalie Torjusen.
Årstad finished his secondary education in 1879 and graduated with the candidate.jur.
Degree in 1885. After some time as junior solicitor in Risør he settled as an attorney in Stavanger in 1885. He was elected to the city council, and served as Mayor of Stavanger from 1891 to 1892. He was elected to the Parliament of Norway from Stavanger og Haugesund in 1897, serving until 1900.
In 1903 he was appointed as the district stipendiary magistrate in Ryfylke District Court.
He was elected to Parliament for a second term in 1912, serving until 1915. During this period he also served as vice president and president of the Parliament.
He died in January 1928. The street Søren Årstads vei in the borough of Hillevåg, Stavanger, was named after him in 1954.
He then served as Minister of Finance from 1900 to 1901, member of the Council of State Division in Stockholm until 1902, then Minister of Justice and the Police until October 1903.