Legislative power
Folketinget, the Danish National Parliament, debates and enacts Danish legislation. Folketinget has 179 members who hail from different political parties. Members of Parliament are elected to serve for four years at a time. The Prime Minister, however, can dissolve parliament and call for a general election before the end of this four-year period.
Two of Folketinget's members are elected in Greenland and two in the Faroe Islands.
Open to the public
All parliamentary debates are open to the public and anyone is free to contact the politicians. Political debates are followed closely and discussed in the media.
Executive power
The state administration
The government comprises ministers from one or more political parties. The government is led by the prime minister. Each minister has his own area of responsibility. Together with their relevant institutions, the ministries make up the state. Together with the various regions and municipal authorities, the state constitutes the executive power which is referred to as the state administration.
The government and the state administration draw up and implement the laws of the land.
Judicial power
Independent courts
Danish courts are completely independent. Neither the government nor Parliament can decide how the courts should act in a given case.
The judiciary comprises a supreme court, two high courts and 24 district courts. In addition, special courts deal with specific areas. This applies, for example, to the Danish Industrial Court and the Danish Maritime and Commercial Court.
District courts and high courts
As a general rule, cases are first tried in the district courts. The decision of the district court can be appealed in the high court.
The supreme court
The supreme court is the country's highest court. The supreme court is a court of appeal. This means that it mainly deals with appeal cases from one of the high courts. The decisions of the supreme court cannot be appealed.
The Special Court of Final Appeal
It is possible to appeal a decision to the Special Court of Final Appeal if a person wishes to have a criminal case reopened. This might be because new evidence has come forward in a case that is already closed.
Source: Citizen in Denmark.
Opdated January 9th, 2009.
