Supreme Court (Denmark)
| Supreme Court | |
|---|---|
| Højesteret | |
The seal of the Supreme Court
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| Established | February 14, 1661 |
| Country | Kingdom of Denmark |
| Location | Christiansborg Palace, Copenhagen |
| Authorized by | Danish Constitution |
| Judge term length | Mandatory retirement at age 70 |
| No. of positions | 20 |
| Website | Official Website |
| President of the Supreme Court | |
| Currently | Poul Søgaard |
| Since | June 1, 2014 |
The Supreme Court (Danish: Højesteret, lit. Highest Court) is the supreme court and the third and final instance in all civil and criminal cases in the Kingdom of Denmark. It is based at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen which also houses the Danish Parliament and the Prime Minister's office.
The Supreme Court was founded on 14 February 1661 by King Frederik III as a replacement of King Christian IV's King's Court (da. Kongens Retterting). It was based at first Copenhagen Castle later Christiansborg Palace, which was built in its place on the same site at Slotsholmen, and originally consisted of 30 justices. From its foundation and until the adoption of the Constitution of 1849, the king was the formal head of the Supreme Court but he only attended the first meeting each year and an office as justitiarius was therefore instituted as early as 1674 (from 1919 with title of President).
After the 1794 Fire of the Christiansborg Palace, the Supreme Court moved first to the Prince's Mansion (da. Prinsens Palæ) until 1854, now housing the National Museum of Denmark, and then to one of the four mansions of Amalienborg Palace (1854–1864), before moving back to Slotsholmen. After the fire of the second Christianborg Palace in 1884 the Supreme Court had to move once again and was based at Bernstorffs Palæ in Bredgade until 1919 when it could move back to the present Christiansborg Palace.
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Wikipedia