The Danish Supreme Court is the highest civil and criminal court responsible for the administration of justice in Denmark. The Kingdom of Denmark, consisting of Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands, does not have a single unified judicial system - Denmark has one system, Greenland another and the Faroe Island a third. However, decisions by the highest courts in Greenland and the Faroe Islands may be appealed to the Danish High Courts. This article describes only the judicial court system of Denmark. The Kingdom of Denmark is geographically the smallest Nordic country and is part of the European Union. ... In the law, the judiciary or judicial system is the system of courts which administer justice in the name of the sovereign or state, a mechanism for the resolution of disputes. ...

Since late 2005 and onwards, a gradual reform on the structure and functions of the lower courts has been working its way through the Danish Parliament. As soon as all the changes run into effect, this article will be updated. Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Folketing, or Folketinget, is the name of the national parliament of Denmark. ...

The Courts of Justice

In accordance with article 3 of the Danish Constitution, all judicial authority is vested in the courts of justice. The constitution also provides that only judges of the court may pass judgements, whereas parliamentary commissions may only investigate. The National Constitutional Assembly (painting by Constantin Hansen) The Constitutional Act of the Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Danmarks Riges Grundlov) was introduced on June 5, 1849 and effectively put an end to the absolute monarchy which had lasted since 1660-61. ...

The Danish system of courts is based on a unified structure, in which there are no special or constitutional courts of law, as well as no formal division within the courts. As a rule, all courts of law may adjudicate disputes in legal areas such as civil, labour, administrative and constitutional law as well as criminal justice. Adjudication is the legal process by which a arbiter or judge reviews evidence and argumentation including legal reasoning set forth by opposing parties or litigants to come to a decision which determines rights and obligations between the parties involved. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... This article is in need of attention. ... Administrative law in the United States often relates to, or arises from, so-called independent agencies- such as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Here is FTCs headquarters in Washington D.C. Administrative law (or regulatory law) is the body of law that arises from the activities of administrative agencies... The French Declaration of the Rights of the Man and of the Citizen, whose principles still have constitutional value Constitutional law is the study of foundational or basic laws of nation states and other political organizations. ... The term criminal law, sometimes called penal law, refers to any of various bodies of rules in different jurisdictions whose common characteristic is the potential for unique and often severe impositions as punishment for failure to comply. ...

Judicial action against ministers and/or former ministers, in cases surrounding their dealings as minister, are however handled by a Court of Impeachment of the Realm (Rigsretten), composed of Supreme Court judges and members of parliament. A minister or a secretary is a politician who heads a government ministry or department (e. ... Depiction of the impeachment trial of Andrew Johnson, then President of the United States, in 1868. ...

The Court of Indictment and Revision (Den Særlige Klageret) handles complaints regarding procedure, disqualification of judges etc. brought fort by the users of the courts, against the courts.

Proceedings are oral in general and open to the public in the lower courts, and always oral in the Supreme Court. Media transmissions from within the court are prohibited, unless allowed by the presiding judge.

The juridicial system on the whole is in its construction generally inspired by the traditions of continental Europe. Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands and, at times, peninsulas. ...

The Administration of Justice Act of 1916 (Lov om Rettens Pleje - Retsplejeloven), the only Danish legal code, contains almost 1000 articles, defining the administration and organisation of the courts, covering fields of both civil and criminal procedure. The Act has undergone substantial changes since its enactment in 1916. A legal code is a moral code enforced by the law of a state. ... Civil procedure is the body of law that sets out the process that courts will follow when hearing cases of a civil nature (a civil action, as opposed to a criminal action). ... Criminal procedure refers to the legal process for adjudicating claims that someone has violated the criminal law. ...

From late 2005 a gradual reform of the lower courts is under way.

Structure

From 1 January 2007, the Danish Courts are composed of the Supreme Court (Højesteret), the two High Courts (Landsretten), the Copenhagen Maritime and Commercial Court (Sø- og Handelsretten i København), the Land Registration Court, 24 district courts (Byretten), the courts of the Faroe Islands and Greenland, the Appeals Permission Board, the Danish Judicial Appointments Council and the Danish Court Administration.

Furthermore, the Danish Constitution provides for the Court of Impeachment of the Realm (Rigsretten) to hear cases brought against ministers concerning their administration. In addition, the Special Court of Final Appeal (Den særlige Klageret) deals with cases concerning disciplinary sanctions against judges and petitions for retrial of criminal cases under article 86 of the Administration of Justice Act.

The Danish Courts exercise the judicial powers of government and resolve related issues, including probate, bankruptcy, enforcement, land registration and administrative issues.

All judges are jurists. Lay judges may be of any profession, it is however considered good practice, that none may be a jurist. A jurist is a professional who studies, develops, applies or otherwise deals with the law. ...

From late 2005 a gradual reform of the lower courts is under way. When passed, the reform will transform the role of the County and High Courts, as well as insuring that the Supreme Court only handles cases which are principal in nature.

County Courts and the role of County Court judges

The composition of the county courts vary but is regulated by law. The Copenhagen County Court has 49 judges and a President, whilst Aarhus, Odense, Aalborg and Roskilde county courts have a President and 15, 10, 10 and 7 other judges, respectively. 29 jurisdictions have two to four judges, whilst the last 50 jurisdictions have only one judge. For other uses, see Copenhagen (disambiguation). ... For the Aarhus convention on public participation, see Aarhus Convention. ... Odense is the third largest city in Denmark with 145,554 inhabitants (Odense city January 1, 2004) and the capital of the island of Funen. ... View of Aalborg railroad station from J.F. Kennedys Square, 2004 Aalborg (help· info) is a municipality (Danish, kommune) in North Jutland County on the Jutland peninsula in northern Denmark. ... This article is about the town in Denmark. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

At the preparatory and trial stages of civil cases only one judge presides. In criminal cases where the defendant pleads guilty to all charges presented against him or her, or when the prosecution does not ask for a sentence in excess of a fine, the case is also presided by a single judge. In criminal cases where this is not the case, the judge sits with two lay judges. Special rules regarding appointment of lay judges apply to maritime cases. In legal parlance, a trial is an event in which parties to a dispute present information (in the form of evidence) in a formal setting, usually a court, before a judge, jury, or other designated finder of fact, in order to achieve a resolution to their dispute. ... A defendant or defender is any party who is required to answer the complaint of a plaintiff or pursuer in a civil lawsuit before a court, or any party who has been formally charged or accused of violating a criminal statute. ... In the law, a pleading is one of the papers filed with a court in a civil action, such as a complaint, a demurrer, or an answer. ... “Guilty” redirects here. ... The prosecutor is the chief legal representative of the prosecution in countries adopting the common law adversarial system or the civil law inquisitorial system. ...

In cases where lay judges sit with the judge, decisions are adopted by simple majority.

In addition to their normal duties, county court judges act as notary public and bailiffs (in particular, the fogedret sees to the enforcement of judgments and legal claims), as well as administrators of bankruptcy proceedings and probate matters. Furthermore they administer the local land registry. In regard to the administrative tasks, these functions may be assigned to an assessor, which is a deputy judge. An electronic reform of the entire land registry system is being implementet, making the system entirely electronic. A US Embossed Notary Seal. ... Bailiff (from Late Latin bajulivus, adjectival form of bajulus) is a governor or custodian (cf. ... Vogt is a word of Germanic languages(except for English), originated from latin language vocatius, refers to: People named Vogt: Alfred Elton (A. E.) van Vogt Andrea Vogt Berti Vogts Erik Vogt Howard C. Vogts Jørgen Herman Vogt Karl Vogt Paul Vogt Roland Vogt Tom Vogt Other: Funker Vogt... Notice of closure stuck on the door of a computer store the day after its parent company, Granville Technology Group Ltd, declared bankruptcy (strictly, put into administration—see text) in the United Kingdom. ... Probate is the legal process of settling the estate of a deceased person; specifically, resolving all claims and distributing the decedents property. ... A land registry is a system for publicly recording legal interests in land. ... Assessor as evaluator An assessor is an expert that calculates the amounts to be paid or assessed for tax or insurance purposes. ...

All nuptial agreements and the car-ownership registry are controlled and administered by Aarhus County Court. Matrimony redirects here. ... Look up Agreement in Wiktionary, the free dictionary An agreement may be an agreement in beliefs, rules, practices (policies), or conduct. ... In the United States of America, Department of Motor Vehicles (or DMV) is a commonly used name of the government agency of a U.S. state which administers the registration of automobiles (e. ...

High Courts

The High Court functions both as a civil and criminal court of first instance and a civil and criminal appellate court for cases from the subordinate courts. A County Court decision can always be appealed to a High Court - if the disputed claim exceeds DKK 10.000. First instance civil cases may only be brought before the High Court if the disputed claim exceeds DKK 1.000.000. A trial court or court of first instance is the court in which most civil or criminal cases begin. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Appeal. ... The Danish krone is the currency used in Denmark and the Danish dependency of Greenland. ...

Denmark has two High Courts. The High Court of Western Denmark (Vestre Landsret) sits in Viborg but has chambers in larger western cities. It has jurisdiction over all County Courts in Jutland. It has one President and 38 judges. The High Court of Eastern Denmark (Østre Landsret) sits in Copenhagen but has chambers in larger eastern cities. It has jurisdiction over all County Courts outside the Jutland peninsula as well as the County Court for the Faroe Islands and the High Court of Greenland. It has one President and 63 judges. The High Courts are only set in chambers outside Viborg and Copenhagen in criminal cases. All civil cases are brought before The High Courts in either Viborg or Copenhagen. Viborg, is a town located in central Jutland, Denmark. ... Jutland Peninsula Jutland (Danish: Jylland; German: Jütland; Frisian Jutlân; Low German Jötlann) is the western, continental part of Denmark as well as one of the three historical Lands of Denmark, dividing the North Sea from the Kattegat and the Baltic Sea. ... For other uses, see Copenhagen (disambiguation). ...

The High Courts are split into chambers, each consisting of three High Court judges. Though the President of the High Court appoints a presiding judge for each chamber, all decision are reached by a simple majority, in all types of cases.

As a criminal appellate court in appealed cases where lay judges have taken part in the County Court trial, the High Court is composed of three High Court judges and three lay judges. High Court judges also sit with lay judges in cases of general public interest. In cases where special knowledge is needed, i.e. cases regarding removal of children from their parents, specialists may appear as lay judges.

If the defendant pleads "not guilty" and when he or she may be sentenced to 4 years or more in prison, the three High Court judges sit with a 12 member jury. The jury alone decides the question of guilt. A verdict of guilty requires two thirds majority (eight votes). Acquittal is final. A verdict of guilty can be rejected by the judges, in which case the whole case starts over with new judges and new jurors. The penalty is set by judges and jury, with each juror having one vote, each judge four.

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court functions as a civil and criminal appellate court for cases from the subordinate courts. Since a decision cannot normally be appealed more than once, County Court cases rarerly reach Supreme Court-level, though this may be the case if the independent Board of Appeals grants a leave of appeal.

The Supreme Court was founded on 14 February 1661 by King Frederik III, yet can trace its roots back even further to the now defunct King's Court of King Christian IV (Kongens Retterting). As its name indicates, the Supreme Court is the highest Court in the Kingdom of Denmark and its judgments cannot be appealed to another Danish court. It is split into two chambers which both hear all types of cases. A case is heard by at least five judges. In all, the court consists of normally 15 judges and a President.

Unlike criminal cases in the lower courts, the Supreme Court does not deal with the issue of guilt. However, the basis on which the lower court reached its verdict may be brought into consideration and edited. In criminal trials by jury in the first instance, the defence may appeal on grounds of judicial error regarding the judges' direction to the jury (the summing-up of the theoretical foundations, which should be taken into consideration when the jurors deliberate).

Independence

Articles 62 and 64 of the Danish Constitution ensures functional independence from Government and Parliament by providing that judges shall only be guided by the law, including acts, statutes and practice. The National Constitutional Assembly (painting by Constantin Hansen) The Constitutional Act of the Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Danmarks Riges Grundlov) was introduced on June 5, 1849 and effectively put an end to the absolute monarchy which had lasted since 1660-61. ... The House of Representatives Chamber of the Parliament of Australia in Canberra. ...

Administration of the Courts

The Court Administration was formed in 1999 following the Court Administration Act, 1998. As a result the responsibility of administering the justice system and courts was removed from the Ministry of Justice and given to a newly formed, independent Court Administration (Domstolsstyrelsen), thereby securing separation of the judicial and executive branches of government. This article is about the year. ... The Statute of Grand Duchy of Lithuania A statute is a formal, written law of a country or state, written and enacted by its legislative authority, perhaps to then be ratified by the highest executive in the government, and finally published. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Ministry of Justice of Denmark (Danish: Justitsministeriet) is the Danish government ministry responsible for the general judicial system, including the police and the prosecution service, the courts of law, and prisons and the probation service. ...

Appointment of Judges

All judges are appointed by the reigning monarch, following recommendations (orders) from the Minister of Justice on the advice of the Judicial Appointments Council. The advice of the council is always followed. For other uses, see Monarch (disambiguation). ...

The Judicial Appointments Council, like the Court Administration, was formed in 1999, and facilitates the recruitement of judges from all branches of the legal profession. Before 1999, it was felt that too many judges had a career background within the Ministry of Justice.

Likewise, the Council was set up to ensure independence from the other branches of government. Even though it is funded via the annual Budget Act, the Council enjoys full independence from all three branches of government.

Removal of Judges

Article 64 of the Danish Constitution guarantees the personal independence of judges by protecting them from arbitrary removal. Removal or transfere may only take place in instances of gross misconduct or lasting physical or psychological illnesses. Such dismissals are decided by The Special Court of Indictment and Revision, which consists of one judge from each of The Supreme Court, The High Court and The County Court. The verdict may be appealed to the Supreme Court. The National Constitutional Assembly (painting by Constantin Hansen) The Constitutional Act of the Kingdom of Denmark (Danish: Danmarks Riges Grundlov) was introduced on June 5, 1849 and effectively put an end to the absolute monarchy which had lasted since 1660-61. ...

See also

• Legal systems of the world

World distribution of major legal traditions The three major legal systems of the world today consist of civil law, common law and religious law. ...

External links

• The Supreme Court
• The High Court of Western Denmark
• The High Court of Eastern Denmark
• The Court Administration
• The Courts of Denmark
• Aarhus County Court
• Copenhagen County Court