Constitutional Act of Denmark 1953, as amended to 2009
Citizenship and Nationality
  • English
    (1) No alien shall be naturalized except by statute.
    … (Sec. 44)
  • Danish
    Stk. 1. Ingen udlænding kan få indfødsret uden ved lov.
    … (§ 44)
Education
  • English
    All children of school age shall be entitled to free instruction in primary schools. Parents or guardians making their own arrangements for their children or wards to receive instruction equivalent to the general primary school standard shall not be obliged to have their children or wards taught in a publicly provided school. (Sec. 76)
  • Danish
    Alle børn i den undervisningspligtige alder har ret til fri undervisning i folkeskolen. Forældre eller værger, der selv sørger for, at børnene får en undervisning, der kan stå mål med, hvad der almindeligvis kræves i folkeskolen, er ikke pligtige at lade børnene undervise i folkeskolen. (§ 76)
Employment Rights and Protection
  • English
    (1) In order to advance the public interest, efforts shall be made to guarantee work for every able-bodied citizen on terms that will secure his existence.
    … (Sec. 75)
  • Danish
    Stk. 1. Til fremme af almenvellet bør det tilstræbes, at enhver arbejdsduelig borger har mulighed for arbejde på vilkår, der betrygger hans tilværelse.
    … (§ 75)
Equality and Non-Discrimination
  • English
    All legislative privileges attaching to nobility, title, and rank shall be abolished. (Sec. 83)
  • Danish
    Enhver i lovgivningen til adel, titel og rang knyttet forret er afskaffet. (§ 83)
Obligations of the State
  • English
    No person shall by reason of his creed or descent be deprived of access to the full enjoyment of civic and political rights, nor shall he escape compliance with any common civic duty for such reasons. (Sec. 70)
  • Danish
    Ingen kan på grund af sin trosbekendelse eller afstamning berøves adgang til den fulde nydelse af borgerlige og politiske rettigheder eller unddrage sig opfyldelsen af nogen almindelig borgerpligt. (§ 70)
Limitations and/or Derogations
  • English
    In an emergency the King may, when the Folketing cannot assemble, issue provisional laws, provided that they shall not be at variance with the Constitutional Act, and that they shall always, immediately on the assembling of the Folketing, be submitted to it for approval or rejection. (Sec. 23)
  • Danish
    I særdeles påtrængende tilfælde kan kongen, når Folketinget ikke kan samles, udstede foreløbige love, der dog ikke må stride mod grundloven og altid straks efter Folketingets sammentræden skal forelægges dette til godkendelse eller forkastelse. (§ 23)
Marriage and Family Life
  • English

    (2) Any person unable to support himself or his family shall, when no other person is responsible for his or their maintenance, be entitled to receive public assistance, provided that he shall comply with the obligations imposed by statute in such respect. (Sec. 75)
  • Danish

    Stk. 2. Den, der ikke selv kan ernære sig eller sine, og hvis forsørgelse ikke påhviler nogen anden, er berettiget til hjælp af det offentlige, dog mod at underkaste sig de forpligtelser, som loven herom påbyder. (§ 75)
Participation in Public Life and Institutions
  • English
    Every male person able to bear arms shall be liable with his person to contribute to the defence of his country under such rules as are laid down by statute. (Sec. 81)
  • Danish
    Enhver våbenfør mand er forpligtet til med sin person at bidrage til fædrelandets forsvar efter de nærmere bestemmelser, som loven foreskriver. (§ 81)
Political Rights and Association
  • English
    (1) Any Danish subject who is permanently domiciled in the Realm, and who has the age qualification for suffrage as provided for in Sub-section (2) of this Section shall have the right to vote at Folketing elections, provided that he has not been declared incapable of conducting his own affairs. It shall be laid down by statute to what extent conviction and public assistance amounting to poor relief within the meaning of the law shall entail disenfranchisement.
    (2) The age qualification for suffrage shall be as determined by the referendum held under the Act dated March 25th 1953. Such age qualification for suffrage may be altered at any time by statute.
    ... (Sec. 29)
  • Danish
    Stk. 1. Valgret til folketinget har enhver, som har dansk indfødsret, fast bopæl i riget og har nået den i stk. 2 omhandlede valgretsalder, medmindre vedkommende er umyndiggjort. Det bestemmes ved lov, i hvilket omfang straf og understøttelse, der i lovgivningen betragtes som fattighjælp, medfører tab af valgret.
    Stk. 2. Valgretsalderen er den, som har opnået flertal ved folkeafstemning i overensstemmelse med lov af 25. marts 1953. Ændring af den til enhver tid gældende valgretsalder kan ske ved lov.
    ... (§ 29)
Political Rights and Association
  • English
    No person shall by reason of his creed or descent be deprived of access to the full enjoyment of civic and political rights, nor shall he escape compliance with any common civic duty for such reasons. (Sec. 70)
  • Danish
    Ingen kan på grund af sin trosbekendelse eller afstamning berøves adgang til den fulde nydelse af borgerlige og politiske rettigheder eller unddrage sig opfyldelsen af nogen almindelig borgerpligt. (§ 70)
Political Rights and Association
  • English
    Citizens shall, without previous permission, be at liberty to assemble unarmed.
    ... (Sec. 79)
  • Danish
    Borgerne har ret til uden forudgående tilladelse at samle sig ubevæbnede.
    ... (§ 79)
Political Rights and Association
  • English
    (1) Citizens shall, without previous permission, be free to form associations for any lawful purpose.

    (3) No association shall be dissolved by any government measure; but an association may be temporarily prohibited, provided that immediate proceedings be taken for its dissolution.
    (4) Cases relating to the dissolution of political associations may, without special permission, be brought before the Highest Court of Justice of the Realm.
    … (Sec. 78)
  • Danish
    Stk. 1. Borgerne har ret til uden forudgående tilladelse at danne foreninger i ethvert lovligt øjemed.

    Stk. 3. Ingen forening kan opløses ved en regeringsforanstaltning. Dog kan en forening foreløbig forbydes, men der skal da straks anlægges sag imod den til dens opløsning.
    Stk. 4. Sager om opløsning af politiske foreninger skal uden særlig tilladelse kunne indbringes for rigets øverste domstol.
    … (§ 78)
Head of State
  • English
    The form of government shall be that of a constitutional monarchy. Royal authority shall be inherited by men and women in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Succession to the Throne of March 27th 1953. (Sec. 2)
  • Danish
    Regeringsformen er indskrænket-monarkisk. Kongemagten nedarves til mænd og kvinder efter de i tronfølgeloven af 27. marts 1953 fastsatte regler. (§ 2)
Head of State
  • English
    Legislative authority shall be vested in the King and the Folketing conjointly. Executive authority shall be vested in the King.
    … (Sec. 3)
  • Danish
    Den lovgivende magt er hos kongen og Folketinget i forening. Den udøvende magt er hos kongen.
    … (§ 3)
Head of State
  • English
    The King shall be a member of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. (Sec. 6)
  • Danish
    Kongen skal høre til den evangelisk-lutherske kirke. (§ 6)
Head of State
  • English
    The King shall be of age when he has completed his eighteenth year. The same provision shall apply to the Heir to the Throne. (Sec. 7)
  • Danish
    Kongen er myndig, når han har fyldt sit 18. år. Det samme gælder tronfølgeren. (§ 7)
Head of State
  • English
    The throne shall be inherited by the descendants of King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine. (Act of Succession, Sec. 1)
  • Danish
    Tronen nedarves inden for kong Christian X og dronning Alexandrines efterslægt. (Tronfølgelov, § 1)
Head of State
  • English
    (1) Upon the death of a King or a reigning Queen, the throne shall pass to his/her son or daughter, the elder child taking precedence over the younger child.
    ... (Act of Succession, Sec. 2)
  • Danish
    Stk. 1. Ved en konges eller en regerende dronnings død overgår tronen til den pågældendes søn eller datter, således at den ældre går forud for den yngre.
    ... (Tronfølgelov, § 2)
Head of State
  • English
    If a King or a reigning Queen dies without issue who is entitled to inherit the throne, the brother or sister of the King or reigning Queen shall succeed to the throne. If the King or the reigning Queen has several brothers or sisters or if some of their respective brothers or sisters have died, the rules laid down in Section 2 shall apply correspondingly. (Act of Succession, Sec. 3)
  • Danish
    Dør en konge eller en regerende dronning uden at efterlade sig til tronen arveberettiget afkom, overgår tronen til den pågældendes broder eller søster. Har kongen eller den regerende dronning flere søskende, eller er nogen af en pågældendes søskende afgået ved døden, finder reglerne i § 2 tilsvarende anvendelse. (Tronfølgelov, § 3)
Head of State
  • English
    (1) Only children born in lawful wedlock are entitled to succeed to the throne.
    (2) The King or the reigning Queen shall not marry without the consent of the Folketing.
    (3) If a person who is entitled to succeed to the throne decides to marry without the King’s or reigning Queen’s consent which shall be given during a meeting of the Council of State, he/she forfeits his/her right to succeed to the throne and so do his/her children born in lawful wedlock and their issue. (Act of Succession, Sec. 5)
  • Danish
    Stk. 1. Kun børn født i lovligt ægteskab har arveret til tronen.
    Stk. 2. Til kongens eller den regerende dronnings indgåelse af ægteskab kræves Folketingets samtykke.
    Stk. 3. Indgår en til tronen arveberettiget person ægteskab uden kongens i statsrådet givne samtykke, mister den pågældende arveretten til tronen for sig og de I ægteskabet fødte børn og disses afkom. (Tronfølgelov, § 5)
Government
  • English
    Subject to the limitations laid down in this Constitutional Act, the King shall have supreme authority in all the affairs of the Realm, and shall exercise such supreme authority through the Ministers. (Sec. 12)
  • Danish
    Kongen har med de i denne grundlov fastsatte indskrænkninger den højeste myndighed over alle rigets anliggender og udøver den gennem ministrene. (§ 12)
Government
  • English
    The King shall appoint and dismiss the Prime Minister and the other Ministers.
    … (Sec. 14)
  • Danish
    Kongen udnævner og afskediger statsministeren og de øvrige ministre.
    … (§ 14)
Legislature
  • English
    Legislative authority shall be vested in the King and the Folketing conjointly.
    … (Sec. 3)
  • Danish
    Den lovgivende magt er hos kongen og Folketinget i forening.
    … (§ 3)
Legislature
  • English
    The Folketing shall consist of one assembly of not more than one hundred and seventy-nine Members, of whom two Members shall be elected in the Faroe Islands and two Members in Greenland. (Sec. 28)
  • Danish
    Folketinget udgør én forsamling bestående af højst 179 medlemmer, hvoraf 2 medlemmer vælges på Færøerne og 2 i Grønland. (§ 28)
Legislature
  • English
    (1) Any person who is entitled to vote at Folketing elections shall be eligible for membership of the Folketing, unless he has been convicted of an act which in the eyes of the public makes him unworthy to be a Member of the Folketing.
    … (Sec. 30)
  • Danish
    Stk. 1. Valgbar til Folketinget er enhver, som har valgret til dette, medmindre vedkommende er straffet for en handling, der i almindeligt omdømme gør ham uværdig til at være medlem af Folketinget.
    … (§ 30)
Legislature
  • English
    (1) The Members of the Folketing shall be elected by general and direct ballot.
    (2) Rules for the exercise of the suffrage shall be laid down by the Parliamentary Election Act of Denmark, which, to secure equal representation of the various opinions of the electorate, shall prescribe the manner of election and decide whether proportional representation shall be adopted with or without elections in single-member constituencies.
    … (Sec. 31)
  • Danish
    Stk. 1. Folketingets medlemmer vælges ved almindelige, direkte og hemmelige valg.
    Stk. 2. De nærmere regler for valgrettens udøvelse gives ved valgloven, der til sikring af en ligelig repræsentation af de forskellige anskuelser blandt vælgerne fastsætter valgmåden, herunder hvorvidt forholdstalsvalgmåden skal føres igennem i eller uden forbindelse med valg i enkeltmandskredse.
    … (§ 31)
Property, Inheritance and Land Tenure
  • English
    (1) The right of property shall be inviolable.
    … (Sec. 73)
  • Danish
    Stk. 1. Ejendomsretten er ukrænkelig.
    … (§ 73)
Property, Inheritance and Land Tenure
  • English
    No fiefs, estates tail in land, or estates tail in personal property or family estates shall be created in future. (Sec. 84)
  • Danish
    Intet len, stamhus, fideikommisgods eller andet familiefideikommis kan for fremtiden oprettes. (§ 84)
Protection from Violence
  • English

    (2) Associations employing violence, or aiming at the attainment of their object by violence, by instigation to violence, or by similar punishable influence on persons holding other views, shall be dissolved by court judgement.
    … (Sec. 78)
  • Danish

    Stk. 2. Foreninger, der virker ved eller søger at nå deres mål ved vold, anstiftelse af vold eller lignende strafbar påvirkning af anderledes tænkende, bliver at opløse ved dom.
    … (§ 78)
Public Institutions and Services
  • English

    (2) Any person unable to support himself or his family shall, when no other person is responsible for his or their maintenance, be entitled to receive public assistance, provided that he shall comply with the obligations imposed by statute in such respect. (Sec. 75)
  • Danish

    Stk. 2. Den, der ikke selv kan ernære sig eller sine, og hvis forsørgelse ikke påhviler nogen anden, er berettiget til hjælp af det offentlige, dog mod at underkaste sig de forpligtelser, som loven herom påbyder. (§ 75)
Status of the Constitution
  • English
    This Constitutional Act shall apply to all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark. (Sec. 1)
  • Danish
    Denne grundlov gælder for alle dele af Danmarks Rige. (§ 1)
Status of the Constitution
  • English
    The King shall, prior to his accession to the throne, make a solemn declaration in writing before the Council of State that he will faithfully observe the Constitutional Act.
    … (Sec. 8)
  • Danish
    Forinden kongen tiltræder regeringen, afgiver han skriftligt i statsrådet en højtidelig forsikring om ubrødeligt at ville holde grundloven.
    … (§ 8)
Religious Law
  • English
    The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark (Folkekirken) is the established Church of Denmark and, as such, is supported by the State. (Sec. 4)
  • Danish
    Den evangelisk-lutherske kirke er den danske folkekirke og understøttes som sådan af staten. (§ 4)
Religious Law
  • English
    The constitution of the Established Church shall be laid down by statute. (Sec. 66)
  • Danish
    Folkekirkens forfatning ordnes ved lov. (§ 66)
1

Constitutional Act of Denmark 1953 (English); Act of Succession 1953, as amended to 2009 (English). According to Sec. 2 of the Constitutional Act: "… Royal authority shall be inherited by men and women in accordance with the provisions of the Act of Succession to the Throne of March 27th 1953."

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