Ministry of Justice of Denmark (Danish: Justitsministeriet, Faroese: Dómsmálaráðið, Greenlandic: Inatsiseqarnermut Ministereqarfik) is the Danish government ministry which oversees the judicial system (Danish: Justitsvæsnet) and is led by the Justice Minister.
The ministry is responsible for the general judicial system, including the police and the prosecution service, the courts of law, and the penal system. In addition, the Ministry is responsible for legislation in the areas of criminal, private and family law, the law of trusts and foundations, nationality law and data protection law. The Ministry of Justice of Denmark might oversee the administration of justice in Greenland.
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History
The Ministry of Justice was established in 1848 following the dissolution of the Danske Kancelli. Initially, the ministry was also responsible for administering military conscription and healthcare. The authority over conscription was transferred to the Ministry of the Interior in 1915 and healthcare was transferred to the Ministry of Health in 1926. The ministry also formerly had authority over matters related to foreign nationals and citizenship, which were transferred, respectively, to the Ministry of the Interior in 1993 and the Minister for Integration in 2001. Some responsibility over cases concerning immigration and citizenship were returned to the ministry in 2011 by the Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet.
In 1999, an independent board of governors, the Danish Court Administration, was created. It took over responsibility of the Courts Department which had previously been under the authority of the Ministry of Justice, as political fear of concentration of power within the ministry had grown.
Authority
The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the enforcement of safety, security, law and justice in Denmark. In criminal proceedings, it has oversight over the Police of Denmark, the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, the Courts of Denmark, and the Danish Prison and Probation Service.
Within the Danish government, the Ministry of Justice acts as the legal guarantor of the legislation and administration provided by other ministries. Its legislative department reviews bills from other ministries before they are submitted to the Council of State and the Folketing.
Organisation
As of 2026, the ministry consists of three departments: the Civil and Police Department (Civil- og Politiafdelingen), the Law Department (Lovafdelingen), and the Administration Department (Administrationsafdelingen). These departments oversee the following bodies: