Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Part I [General Provisions] filed in the Public Record Office. Where the Kin,
owing to his absence or for other reasons, is unable
Section 1 [Scope] to sign the aforesaid Declaration immediately on
This Constitution applies to all parts of the his accession to the Throne, the government shall,
Kingdom of Denmark. unless otherwise provided by Statute, be conducted
by the Council of State until such Declaration has
Section 2 [State Form] been signed. Where the King already as Successor
The form of government shall be that of a to the Throne has signed the aforesaid Declaration,
constitutional monarchy. The Royal Power is he shall accede to the Throne immediately on its
inherited by men and women in accordance with vacancy.
the provisions of the Succession to the Throne
Act, 27th March, 1953. Section 9 [Vacancy of the Throne]
Provisions relating to the exercising of sovereign
Section 3 [State Powers] power in the event of the minority, illness, or
The legislative power is jointly vested in the King absence of the King shall be laid down by Statute.
and the Parliament. The executive power is vested Where on the vacancy of the Throne there is no
in the King. The judicial power is vested in the Successor to the Throne, the Parliament shall elect
courts of justice. a King and establish the future order of succession
to the Throne.
Section 4 [State Church]
The Evangelical Lutheran Church shall be the Section 10 [Civil List]
Established Church of Denmark, and, as such, it (1) The Civil List of the King shall be granted
shall be supported by the State. for the duration of his reign by Statute. Such
Statute shall also provide for the castles,
Part II [The King] palaces, and other State property which shall
be placed at the disposal of the King for his
Section 5 [Reigning no Other Countries] use.
The King shall not reign in other countries except (2) The Civil List shall not be chargeable with
with the consent of the Parliament. any debt.
Section 6 [Member of the State Church]
The King shall be a member of the Evangelical Section 11 [Annuities]
Lutheran Church. Members of the Royal House may be granted
annuities by Statute. Such annuities shall not be
Section 7 [Of Age With 18 Years] enjoyed outside the Realm except with the consent
The King shall be of age when he has completed of the Parliament.
his eighteenth year. The same provision shall apply
to the Successor to the Throne. Part III [Powers of the King]
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Section 20 [Delegation of Powers] either warranted under the rules existing before
(1) Powers vested in the authorities of the Realm the 5th June, 1849, or have been warranted by a
under this Constitution Act may, to such Statute passed since that date.
extent as shall be provided by Statute, be
delegated to international authorities set up Section 26 [Coinage]
by mutual agreement with other states for The King may cause money to be coined as provided
the promotion of international rules of law by Statute.
and co-operation.
(2) For the passing of a Bill dealing with the Section 27 [Appointment of Civil Cervants]
above a majority of five-sixths of the (1) Rules governing the appointment of civil
Members of the Parliament shall be required. servants shall be laid down by Statute. No
If this majority is not obtained, whereas the person shall be appointed a civil servant unless
majority required for the passing of ordinary he is a Danish subject. Civil servants who are
Bills is obtained, and if the Government appointed by the King shall make a solemn
maintains it, the Bill shall be submitted to declaration to the effect that they will adhere
the Electorate for approval or rejection in to the Constitution Act.
accordance with the rules for Referenda laid (2) Rules governing the dismissal, transfer, and
down in Section 42. pensioning of civil servants shall be laid down
by Statute, confer Section 64.
Section 21 [Introduction of Bills] (3) Civil servants appointed by the King shall
The King may cause Bills and other measures to be only be transferred without their consent if
introduced in the Parliament. they do not suffer any loss in the income
accruing from their posts or offices, and if
Section 22 [Royal Assent] they have been offered the choice of such
A Bill passed by the Parliament shall become law transfer or retirement on pension under the
if it receives the Royal Assent not later than thirty general rules and regulations.
days after it was finally passed. The King shall order
the promulgation of Statutes and shall see to it Part IV [The Parliament]
that they are carried into effect.
Section 28 [Membership]
Section 23 [Provisional Laws] The Parliament shall consist of one assembly of
In an emergency the King may when the Parliament not more than one hundred and seventy-nine
cannot assemble, issue provisional laws, provided Members, of whom two Members shall be elected
that they shall not be at variance with the on the Faeroe Islands and two Members in
Constitution Act, and that they shall always Greenland.
immediately on the assembling of the Parliament
be submitted to it for approval or rejection. Section 29 [Right to Vote]
(1) Any Danish subject whose permanent
Section 24 [Prerogative of Mercy and residence is in the Realm, and who has the
Amnesty] age qualification for suffrage provided for in
The King shall have the prerogative of mercy and Subsection (2) shall have the right to vote at
of granting amnesty. The King may grant Ministers Parliament elections, provided that he has
a pardon for sentences passed upon them by the not been declared incapable of conducting
High Court of the Realm only with the consent of his own affairs. It shall be laid down by
the Parliament. Statute to what extent conviction and public
assistance amounting to poor relief within
Section 25 [Grants] the meaning of the law shall entail
The King may either directly or through the disfranchisement.
relevant Government authorities make such grants (2) The age qualification for suffrage shall be
and grant such exemptions from the Statutes as are such as has resulted from the Referendum
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held under the Act dated the 25th March, 2) The King may at any time issue writs for a
1953. Such age qualification for suffrage may new election with the effect that the existing
be altered at any time by Statute. A Bill passed seats be vacated upon a new election.
by the Parliament for the purpose of such Provided that writs for an election shall not
enactment shall receive the Royal Assent only be issued after the appointment of a new
when the provision on the alteration in the Ministry until the Prime Minister has
age qualification for suffrage has been put to presented himself to the Parliament.
a Referendum in accordance with Section 42 (3) The Prime Minister shall cause a general
(5), which was not resulted in the rejection election to be held before the expiration of
of the provision. the period for which the Parliament has been
elected.
Section 30 [Eligibility for Membership] (4) No seats shall be vacated until a new election
(1) Any person who has a right to vote at has been held.
Parliament elections shall be eligible for (5) Special rules may be provided by Statute for
membership of the Parliament, unless he has the commencement and determination of
been convicted of an act which in the eyes Faeroe Islands and Greenland representation
of the public makes him unworthy of being in the Parliament.
a Member of the Parliament. (6) If a Member of the Parliament becomes
(2) Civil servants who are elected Members of ineligible his seating the Parliament shall
the Parliament shall not require permission become vacant.
from the Government to accept their election. (7) On approval of his election each new
Member shall make a solemn declaration that
Section 31 [Elections] he will adhere to the Constitution Act.
(1) The Members of the Parliament shall be
elected by general and direct ballot. Section 33 [Validity of Election]
(2) Rules for the exercise of the suffrage shall be The Parliament itself shall determine the validity
laid down by the Elections Act, which, to of the election of any Member and decide whether
secure equal representation of the various a Member has lost his eligibility or not.
opinions of the Electorate, shall prescribe
the manner of election and decide whether Section 34 [Inciolability]
proportional representation shall be adopted The Parliament shall be inviolable. Any person who
with or without elections in single-member attacks its security or freedom, or any person who
constituencies. issues or obeys any command aiming thereat shall
(3) In determining the number of seats to be be deemed guilty of high treason.
allotted to each area regard shall be paid to
the number of inhabitants, the number of Part V [Procedures of the Parliament]
electors, and the density of population.
(4) The Elections Act shall provide rules Section 35 [Constitutional Session]
governing the election of substitutes and their (1) A newly elected Parliament shall assemble at
admission to the Parliament, and also rules twelve o’clock noon on the twelfth week-
for the procedure to be adopted where a new day after the day of election, unless the King
election is required. has previously convoked a meeting of its
(5) Special rules for the representation of Members.
Greenland in the Parliament may be laid (2) Immediately after the proving of the
down by Statute. mandates the Parliament shall constitute
itself by the election of a President and Vice-
Section 32 [Period] Presidents.
(1) The members of the Parliament shall be
elected for a period of four years.
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Section 36 [Sessional Year] twelve week-days after its passing the second
(1) The sessional year of the Parliament shall reading. The request shall be made in writing
commence on the first Tuesday of October, and signed by the Members making it.
and shall continue until the first Tuesday of Provided that there shall be no such
October of the following year. postponement in connection with Finance
(2) On the first day of the sessional year at Bills, Supplementary Appropriation Bills,
twelve o’clock noon the Members shall Provisional Appropriation Bills, Government
assemble for a new session of the Parliament. Loan Bills, Naturalization Bills, Expropriation
Bills, Indirect Taxation Bills, and, in
Section 37 [Location] emergencies, Bills the enactment of which
The Parliament shall meet in the place where the cannot be postponed owing to the intent of
Government has its seat. Provided that in the Act.
extraordinary circumstances the Parliament may (4) In the case of a new election and at the end
assemble elsewhere in the Realm. of the sessional year all Bills and other
measures which have not been finally passed,
Section 38 [Account of the General State of shall be dropped.
the Country]
(1) At the first meeting in the sessional year the Section 42 [Referendum]
Prime Minister shall render an account of (1) Where a Bill has been passed by the
the general state of the country and of the Parliament, one-third of the Members of the
measures proposed by the Government. Parliament may within three week-days from
(2) Such account shall be made the subject of a the final passing of the Bill request of the
general debate. President that the Bill be subjected to a
Referendum. Such request shall be made in
Section 39 [Meetings] writing and signed by the Members making
The President of the Parliament shall convene the the request.
meetings of the Parliament, stating the Order of (2) Except in the instance mentioned in
the Day. The President shall convene a meeting of Subsection (7), no Bill which may be
the Parliament upon a requisition being made in subjected to a Referendum, confer Subsection
writing by at least two-fifths of the Members of (6), shall receive the Royal Assent before the
the Parliament or the Prime Minister, stating the expiration of the time limit mentioned in
Order of the Day. Subsection (1), or before a Referendum
requested as aforesaid has take place.
Section 40 [Privileges of Ministers] (3) Where a Referendum on a Bill has been
The Ministers shall ex officio be entitled to attend requested the Parliament may within a period
the sittings of the Parliament and to address the of five week-days from the final passing of
Parliament during the debates as often as they may the Bill resolve that the Bill shall be
desire, provided that they abide by the Rules of withdrawn.
Procedure of the Parliament. They shall be entitled (4) Where the Parliament has made no resolution
to vote only when they are Members of the in accordance with Subsection (3), notice to
Parliament. the effect that the Bill will be put to a
Referendum shall without delay be given to
Section 41 [Bills] the Prime Minister, who shall then cause the
(1) Any Member of the Parliament shall be Bill to be published together with a statement
entitled to introduce Bills and other measures. that a Referendum will be held. The
(2) No Bill shall be finally passed until it has Referendum shall be held in accordance with
been read three times in the Parliament. the decision of the Prime Minister not less
(3) Two-fifths of the Members of the Parliament than twelve and not more than eighteen week-
may request of the President that the third days after the publication of the Bill.
reading of a Bill shall not take place until
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(3) Any person who is taken into custody shall can be done only as provided by Statute and
be brought before a judge within twenty- against full compensation.
four hours. Where the person taken into (2) Where a Bill relating to the expropriation of
custody cannot be releasee immediately, the property has been passed, one-third of the
judge shall decide, stating the grounds in an Members of the Parliament may within three
order to be given as soon as possible and at week-days from the final passing of such Bill
the latest within three days, whether the demand that it shall not be presented for the
person taken into custody shall be committed Royal Assent until new elections to the
to prison, and in cases where he can be Parliament have been held and the Bill has
released on bail, the judge shall determine again been passed by the Parliament assembling
the nature and amount of such bail. This thereupon.
provision may be departed from by Statute (3) Any question of the legality of an act of
as far as Greenland is concerned, if for local expropriation and the amount of
considerations such departure may be deemed compensation may be brought before the
necessary. courts of justice. The hearing of issues
(4) The finding given by the judge may at once relating to the amount of the compensation
be separately appealed against by the person may by Statute be referred to courts of justice
concerned to a higher court of justice. established for such purpose.
(5) No person shall be remanded for an offence
that can involve only punishment consisting Section 74 [Free and Equal Access to
of a fine or mitigated imprisonment. Trade]
(6) outside criminal procedure the legality of Any restraint of the free and equal access to trade
deprivation of liberty which is not by order which is not based on the public weal, shall be
of a judicial authority, and which is not abolished by Statute.
warranted by the legislation dealing with
aliens, shall at the request of the person who Section 75 [Right to Work]
has been deprived of his liberty, or at the (1) In order to advance the public weal efforts
request of any person acting on his behalf, be should be made to afford work to every able-
brought before the ordinary courts of justice bodied citizen on terms that will secure his
or other judicial authority for decision. Rules existence.
governing this procedure shall be provided (2) Any person unable to support himself or his
by Statute. dependants shall, where no other person is
(7) The persons mentioned in Subsection (6) shall responsible for his or their maintenance, be
be under supervision by a board set up by the entitled to receive public assistance, provided
Parliament, to which board the persons that he shall comply with the obligations
concerned shall be permitted to apply. imposed by Statute in such respect.
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in favor of the Bill as passed by the Parliament, Section 6 [Member of the State Church]
and if the Bill receives the Royal Assent it shall The King shall be a member of the Evangelical
form an integral part of the Constitution Act. Lutheran Church.
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enjoyed outside the Realm except with the consent High Court of the Realm shall try cases of
of the Parliament. impeachment brought against Ministers for
maladministration of office.
Part III [Powers of the King]
Section 17 [Council of State]
Section 12 [Supreme Authority] (1) The body of Ministers shall form the Council
Subject to the limitations laid down in this of State, in which the Successor to the
Constitution Act the King shall have the supreme Throne shall have a seat when he is of age.
authority in all the affairs of the Realm, and he The Council of State shall be presided over
shall exercise such supreme authority through the by the King except in the instance mentioned
Ministers. in Section 8, and in the instances where the
Legislature in pursuance of Section 9 may
Section 13 [Responsibility of Ministers] have delegated the conduct of the
The King shall not be answerable for his actions; government to the Council of State.
his person shall be sacrosanct. The Ministers shall (2) All Bills and important government measures
be responsible for the conduct of the government; shall be discussed in the Council of State.
their responsibility shall be determined by Statute.
Section 18 [Council of Ministers]
Section 14 [Appointing Ministers] If the King should be prevented from holding a
The King shall appoint and dismiss the Prime Council of State he may entrust the discussion of
Minister and the other Ministers. He shall decide a matter to a Council of Ministers. Such Council
upon the number of Ministers and upon the of Ministers shall consist of all the Ministers, and
distribution of the duties of government among it shall be presided over by the Prime Minister. The
them. The signature of the King to resolutions vote of each Minister shall be entered in a minute
relating to legislation and government shall make book, and any question shall be decided by a
such resolutions valid, provided that the signature majority of votes. The Prime Minister shall submit
of the King is accompanied by the signature or the Minutes, signed by the Ministers present, to
signatures of one or more Ministers. A Minister the King, who shall decide whether he will
who has signed a resolution shall be responsible for immediately consent to the recommendations of
the resolution. the Council of Ministers, or have the matter brought
before him in a Council of State.
Section 15 [Vote of No Confidence]
(1) A Minister shall not remain in office after the Section 19 [Foreign Affairs]
Parliament has passed a vote of no confidence (1) The King shall act on behalf of the Realm in
in him. international affairs. Provided that without
(2) Where the Parliament passes a vote of no the consent of the Parliament the King shall
confidence in the Prime Minister, he shall not undertake any act whereby the territory
ask for the dismissal of the Ministry unless of the Realm will be increased or decrease,
writs are to be issued for a general election. nor shall he enter into any obligation which
Where a vote of censure has been passed on for fulfillment requires the concurrence of
a Ministry, or it has asked for its dismissal, it the Parliament, or which otherwise is of
shall continue in office until a new Ministry major importance; nor shall the King, except
has been appointed. Ministers who continue with the consent of the Parliament, terminate
in office as aforesaid shall do only what is any international treaty entered into with the
necessary for the purpose of the consent of the Parliament.
uninterrupted conduct of official business. (2) Except for purposes of defence against an
armed attack upon the Realm or Danish forces
Section 16 [Impeachment] the King shall not use military force against
Ministers may be impeached by the King or the any foreign state without the consent of the
Parliament with maladministration of office. The Parliament. Any measure which the King may
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Part V [Procedures of the Parliament] desire, provided that they abide by the Rules of
Procedure of the Parliament. They shall be entitled
Section 35 [Constitutional Session] to vote only when they are Members of the
(1) A newly elected Parliament shall assemble at Parliament.
twelve o’clock noon on the twelfth week-
day after the day of election, unless the King Section 41 [Bills]
has previously convoked a meeting of its (1) Any Member of the Parliament shall be
Members. entitled to introduce Bills and other measures.
(2) Immediately after the proving of the (2) No Bill shall be finally passed until it has
mandates the Parliament shall constitute been read three times in the Parliament.
itself by the election of a President and Vice- (3) Two-fifths of the Members of the Parliament
Presidents. may request of the President that the third
reading of a Bill shall not take place until
Section 36 [Sessional Year] twelve week-days after its passing the second
(1) The sessional year of the Parliament shall reading. The request shall be made in writing
commence on the first Tuesday of October, and signed by the Members making it.
and shall continue until the first Tuesday of Provided that there shall be no such
October of the following year. postponement in connection with Finance
(2) On the first day of the sessional year at Bills, Supplementary Appropriation Bills,
twelve o’clock noon the Members shall Provisional Appropriation Bills, Government
assemble for a new session of the Parliament. Loan Bills, Naturalization Bills, Expropriation
Bills, Indirect Taxation Bills, and, in
Section 37 [Location] emergencies, Bills the enactment of which
The Parliament shall meet in the place where the cannot be postponed owing to the intent of
Government has its seat. Provided that in the Act.
extraordinary circumstances the Parliament may (4) In the case of a new election and at the end
assemble elsewhere in the Realm. of the sessional year all Bills and other
measures which have not been finally passed,
Section 38 [Account of the General State of shall be dropped.
the Country]
(1) At the first meeting in the sessional year the Section 42 [Referendum]
Prime Minister shall render an account of (1) Where a Bill has been passed by the
the general state of the country and of the Parliament, one-third of the Members of the
measures proposed by the Government. Parliament may within three week-days from
(2) Such account shall be made the subject of a the final passing of the Bill request of the
general debate. President that the Bill be subjected to a
Referendum. Such request shall be made in
Section 39 [Meetings] writing and signed by the Members making
The President of the Parliament shall convene the the request.
meetings of the Parliament, stating the Order of (2) Except in the instance mentioned in
the Day. The President shall convene a meeting of Subsection (7), no Bill which may be
the Parliament upon a requisition being made in subjected to a Referendum, confer Subsection
writing by at least two-fifths of the Members of (6), shall receive the Royal Assent before the
the Parliament or the Prime Minister, stating the expiration of the time limit mentioned in
Order of the Day. Subsection (1), or before a Referendum
requested as aforesaid has take place.
Section 40 [Privileges of Ministers] (3) Where a Referendum on a Bill has been
The Ministers shall ex officio be entitled to attend requested the Parliament may within a period
the sittings of the Parliament and to address the of five week-days from the final passing of
Parliament during the debates as often as they may
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the Bill resolve that the Bill shall be and not later than fourteen days after the
withdrawn. Referendum was held. From the date of such
(4) Where the Parliament has made no resolution announcement the Act shall become
in accordance with Subsection (3), notice to ineffective.
the effect that the Bill will be put to a (8) Rules for Referenda, including the extent to
Referendum shall without delay be given to which Referenda shall be held on the Faeroe
the Prime Minister, who shall then cause the Islands and in Greenland, shall be laid down
Bill to be published together with a statement by Statute.
that a Referendum will be held. The
Referendum shall be held in accordance with Section 43 [Taxes]
the decision of the Prime Minister not less No taxes shall be imposed, altered, or repealed
than twelve and not more than eighteen week- except by Statute; nor shall any man be conscripted
days after the publication of the Bill. or any public loan be raised except by Statute.
(5) At the Referendum votes shall be cast for or
against the Bill. For the Bill to be rejected a Section 44 [Naturalization]
majority of the electors taking part in the (1) No alien shall be naturalized except by
voting, however, not less than thirty per cent Statute.
of all persons entitled to vote, shall have (2) The extent of the right of aliens to become
voted against the Bill. owners of real property shall be laid down
(6) Finance Bills, Supplementary Appropriation by Statute.
Bills, Provisional Appropriation Bills,
Government Loan Bills, Civil Servants Section 45 [Finance Bill]
(Amendment) Bills, Salaries and Pensions (1) A Finance Bill for the next financial year shall
Bills, Naturalization Bills, Expropriation be laid before the Parliament not later than
Bills, Taxation (Direct and Indirect) Bills, as four months before the beginning of such
well as Bills introduced for the purpose of financial year.
discharging existing treaty obligations shall (2) Where it is expected that the reading of the
not be subject to a decision by Referendum. Finance Bill for the next financial year will
This provision shall also apply to the Bills not be completed before the commencement
referred to in Sections 8, 9, 10, and 11, and of that financial year, a Provisional
to such resolutions as are provided for in Appropriation Bill shall be laid before the
Section 19, if existing in the form of a law, Parliament.
unless it has been provided by a special Act
that such resolutions shall be put to a Section 46 [Finance Act]
Referendum. Amendments of the (1) Taxes shall not be levied before the Finance
Constitution Act shall be governed by the Act or a Provisional Appropriation Act has
rules laid down in Section 88. been passed by the Parliament.
(7) In an emergency a Bill that may be subjected (2) no expenditure shall be defrayed unless
to a Referendum may receive the Royal Assent provided for by the Finance act passed by the
immediately after it has been passed, provided Parliament, or by a Supplementary
that the Bill contains a provision to that effect. Appropriation Act, or by a Provisional
Where under the rules of Subsection (1) one- Appropriation Act passed by the Parliament.
third of the Members of the Parliament
request a Referendum on the Bill or on the Section 47 [Auditing of Public Accounts]
Act to which the Royal Assent has been (1) The Public Accounts shall be submitted to
given, such Referendum shall be held in the Parliament not later than six months after
accordance with the above rules. Where the the expiration of the financial year.
act is rejected by the Referendum, an (2) The Parliament shall elect a number of
announcement to that effect shall be made Auditors. Such Auditors shall examine the
by the Prime Minister without undue delay annual Public Accounts and see that all the
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revenues of the State have been duly entered public interest and request a statement thereon
therein, and that no expenditure has been from the Ministers.
defrayed unless provided for by the Finance
Act or some other Appropriation Act. The Section 54 [Petitions]
Auditors shall be entitled to demand all Petitions may be submitted tot he Parliament only
necessary information, and shall have a right through one of its Members.
of access to all necessary documents. Rules
providing for the number of Auditors and Section 55 [Control of Civil and Military
their duties shall be laid down by Statute. Administration]
(3) The Public Accounts together with the By Statute shall be provided for the appointment
Auditors’ Report shall be submitted to the by the Parliament of one or two persons, who
Parliament for its decision. shall not be Members of the Parliament, to control
the civil and military administration of the State.
Section 48 [Rules of Procedure]
The Parliament shall lay down its own Rules of Section 56 [Freedom of Members]
Procedure, including rules governing its conduct The Members of the Parliament shall be bound
of business and the maintenance of order. solely by their own conscience and not by any
directions given by their electors.
Section 49 [Publicity]
The sittings of the Parliament shall be public. Section 57 [Immunity of Members]
Provided that the President, or such number of No Member of the Parliament shall be prosecuted
Members as may be provided for by the Rules of or imprisoned in any manner whatsoever without
Procedure, or a Minister shall be entitled to demand the consent of the Parliament, unless he is caught
the removal of all unauthorized persons, in flagrante delicto. Outside the Parliament no
whereupon it shall be decided without a debate Member shall be held liable for his utterance in the
whether the matter shall be debated at a public or Parliament save by the consent of the Parliament.
a secret sitting.
Section 58 [Remuneration]
Section 50 [Participation] The Members of the Parliament shall be paid such
In order to make a decision more than one-half of remuneration as may be Provided for in the
the Members of the Parliament shall be present Elections Act.
and take part in the voting.
Part VI [The High Court]
Section 51 [Committees]
The Parliament may appoint committees from Section 59 [Membership]
among its Members to investigate matters of (1) The High Court of the Realm shall consist
general importance. Such committees shall be of up to fifteen of the eldest — according to
entitled to demand written or oral information both seniority of office — ordinary members of
from private citizens and from public authorities. the highest court of justice of the Realm,
and an equal number of members elected for
Section 52 [Proportional Representation in six years by the Parliament according to
Committees] proportional representation. one or more
The election by the Parliament of Members to sit substitutes shall be elected for each elected
on committees and of Members to perform special member. No Member of the Parliament shall
duties shall be according to proportional be elected a member of the High Court of
representation. the Realm, nor shall a Member of the
Parliament act as a member of the High Court
Section 53 [Discussion] of the Realm. Where in a particular instance
With the consent of the Parliament any Member some of the members of the highest court
thereof may submit for discussion any matter of of justice of the Realm are prevented from
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taking part in the trial of a case, an equal Realm. Rules governing this procedure shall
number of the members of the High Court be laid down by Statute.
of the Realm last elected by the Parliament
shall retire from their seats. Section 64 [Independence of Judges]
(2) The High Court of the Realm shall elect a In the performance of their duties the judges shall
president from among its members. be directed solely by the law. Judges shall not be
(3) Where a case has been brought before the dismissed except by judgment, nor shall they be
High Court of the Realm, the members elected transferred against their will, except in the instances
by the Parliament shall retain their seats in where a rearrangement of the courts of justice is
the High Court of the Realm for the duration made. However, a judge who has completed his
of such case, even if the period for which sixty-fifth year may be retired, but without loss of
they were elected has expired. income up to the time when he is due for
(4) Rules for the High court of the Realm shall retirement on account of age.
be provided by Statute.
Section 65 [Publicity]
Section 60 [Actions] (1) In the administration of justice all
(1) The High Court of the Realm shall try such proceedings shall be public and oral to the
actions as may be brought by the King or the widest possible extent.
Parliament against Ministers. (2) Laymen shall take part in criminal procedure.
(2) With the consent of the Parliament the King The cases and the form in which such
may cause to be tried before the High Court participation shall take place, including what
of the Realm also other persons for crimes cases are to be tried by jury, shall be provided
which he may deem to be particularly for by Statute.
dangerous to the State.
Part VII [State Church]
Section 61 [Exercise of Judiciary Power]
The exercise of the judiciary power shall be Section 66 [Church Constitution]
governed only by Statute. Extraordinary courts of The constitution of the Established Church shall
justice with judicial power shall not be established. be laid down by Statute.
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his civic and political rights, nor shall he for such Section 72 [Inviolability of the House]
reasons evade compliance with any common civic The dwelling shall be inviolable. House searching,
duty. seizure, and examination of letters and other papers
as well as any breach of the secrecy to be observed
Part VIII [Individual Rights] in postal, telegraph, and telephone matters shall
take place only under a judicial order unless
Section 71 [Personal Liberty] particular exception is warranted by Statute.
(1) Personal liberty shall be inviolable. No Danish
subject shall in any manner whatever be Section 73 [Right to Property,
deprived of his liberty because of his political Expropriation]
or religious convictions or because of his (1) The right of property shall be inviolable. No
descent. person shall be ordered to cede his property
(2) A person shall be deprived of his liberty only except where required by the public weal. It
where this is warranted by law. can be done only as provided by Statute and
(3) Any person who is taken into custody shall against full compensation.
be brought before a judge within twenty- (2) Where a Bill relating to the expropriation of
four hours. Where the person taken into property has been passed, one-third of the
custody cannot be releasee immediately, the Members of the Parliament may within three
judge shall decide, stating the grounds in an week-days from the final passing of such Bill
order to be given as soon as possible and at demand that it shall not be presented for the
the latest within three days, whether the Royal Assent until new elections to the
person taken into custody shall be committed Parliament have been held and the Bill has
to prison, and in cases where he can be again been passed by the Parliament assembling
released on bail, the judge shall determine thereupon.
the nature and amount of such bail. This (3) Any question of the legality of an act of
provision may be departed from by Statute expropriation and the amount of
as far as Greenland is concerned, if for local compensation may be brought before the
considerations such departure may be deemed courts of justice. The hearing of issues
necessary. relating to the amount of the compensation
(4) The finding given by the judge may at once may by Statute be referred to courts of justice
be separately appealed against by the person established for such purpose.
concerned to a higher court of justice.
(5) No person shall be remanded for an offence Section 74 [Free and Equal Access to
that can involve only punishment consisting Trade]
of a fine or mitigated imprisonment. Any restraint of the free and equal access to trade
(6) outside criminal procedure the legality of which is not based on the public weal, shall be
deprivation of liberty which is not by order abolished by Statute.
of a judicial authority, and which is not
warranted by the legislation dealing with Section 75 [Right to Work]
aliens, shall at the request of the person who (1) In order to advance the public weal efforts
has been deprived of his liberty, or at the should be made to afford work to every able-
request of any person acting on his behalf, be bodied citizen on terms that will secure his
brought before the ordinary courts of justice existence.
or other judicial authority for decision. Rules (2) Any person unable to support himself or his
governing this procedure shall be provided dependants shall, where no other person is
by Statute. responsible for his or their maintenance, be
(7) The persons mentioned in Subsection (6) shall entitled to receive public assistance, provided
be under supervision by a board set up by the that he shall comply with the obligations
Parliament, to which board the persons imposed by Statute in such respect.
concerned shall be permitted to apply.
537
Denmark
538
Denmark
539
Denmark
540