List of Ministers of Justice (Denmark)

This is a list of Justice Ministers of Denmark, 1848–present.

List of Justice ministers (1848–present)[]

Justice ministers under Frederick VII (1848–1863)[]

No.	Justice minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
1	Bardenfleth, Carl EmilCarl Emil Bardenfleth [da] (1807–1857)	22 March 1848	13 July 1851	3 years, 113 days	Nonpartisan	Moltke I Moltke II
2	Scheel, Anton Wilhelm [da] (1799–1879)	13 July 1851	15 January 1855	3 years, 186 days	Nonpartisan
3	Simony, Carl Frederik [da] (1806–1872)	15 January 1855	2 December 1859	4 years, 321 days	National Liberal
4	Rotwitt, Carl EdvardCarl Edvard Rotwitt (1812–1860) ^[a]	2 December 1859	8 February 1860 †	68 days	Bondevennerne
5	Casse, Andreas Lorenz [da] (1803–1886)	24 February 1860	11 July 1864	4 years, 138 days	National Liberal

Justice ministers under Christian IX (1863–1906)[]

No.	Justice minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
6	Heltzen, Eugenius Sophus Ernst [da] (1818–1898)	11 July 1864	13 March 1865	245 days	Højre
7	Bræstrup, Cosmus [da] (1789–1870)	7 April 1865	6 November 1865	213 days	Højre
8	Leuning, Carl Peter Gram [da] (1820–1867) ^[b]	6 November 1865	21 July 1867 †	1 year, 257 days	National Liberal	Frijs
9	[da] (1817–1879)	4 September 1867	17 August 1868	348 days	Nonpartisan	Frijs
10	[da] (1828–1899)	17 August 1868	28 May 1870	1 year, 284 days	Nonpartisan	Frijs
11	Krieger, Andreas FrederikAndreas Frederik Krieger (1817–1893)	28 May 1870	1 July 1872	1 year, 309 days	National Liberal
12	Klein, Christian Sophus [da] (1824–1900)	1 July 1872	11 June 1875	3 years, 71 days	National Liberal
13	Nellemann, Johannes [da] (1831–1906)	11 June 1875	13 June 1896	21 years, 2 days	Højre	Estrup Reedtz-Thott
14	Rump, Nicolai Reimer [da] (1834–1900)	13 June 1896	28 August 1899	3 years, 76 days	Højre	Reedtz-Thott Hørring
15	Hørring, Hugo EgmontHugo Egmont Hørring (1842–1909)	28 August 1899	27 April 1900	242 days	Højre	Hørring
16	Goos, August Hermann Ferdinand Carl [da] (1835–1917)	27 April 1900	24 July 1901	1 year, 88 days	Højre	Sehested
17	Alberti, Peter AdlerPeter Adler Alberti (1851–1932)	24 July 1901	24 July 1908	7 years, 0 days	Venstre Reform	Deuntzer

Justice ministers under Frederik VIII (1906–1912)[]

No.	Justice minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
18	Høgsbro, Svend [da] (1855–1910)	24 July 1908	28 October 1909	1 year, 96 days	Venstre Reform
19	Zahle, CarlCarl Theodor Zahle (1866–1946)	28 October 1909	5 July 1910	273 days	Social Liberals
20	Bülow, FritsFrits Bülow (1872–1955)	5 July 1910	21 June 1913	2 years, 351 days	Venstre

Justice ministers under Christian X (1912–1947)[]

No.	Justice minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
(19)	Zahle, CarlCarl Theodor Zahle (1866–1946)	21 June 1913	30 March 1920	6 years, 283 days	Social Liberals	Zahle II
21	Liebe, OttoCarl Julius Otto Liebe (1866–1946)	30 March 1920	2 April 1920	3 days	Nonpartisan	Liebe Caretaker Government
22	Sindballe, Kristian [da] (1884–1953)	2 April 1920	5 April 1920	3 days	Nonpartisan	Liebe Caretaker Government
23	Schrøder, FrederikFrederik Carl Gram Schrøder (1866–1936)	5 April 1920	5 May 1920	30 days	Nonpartisan	Friis Caretaker Government
24	Rytter, Svenning [da] (1875–1957)	5 May 1920	23 April 1924	3 years, 354 days	Venstre	–
25	Steincke, Karl KristianKarl Kristian Steincke (1880–1962)	23 April 1924	14 December 1926	2 years, 235 days	Social Democrats	Stauning I Cabinet
(24)	Rytter, Svenning [da] (1875–1957)	14 December 1926	30 April 1929	2 years, 137 days	Venstre
(19)	Zahle, CarlCarl Theodor Zahle (1866–1946)	30 April 1929	4 November 1935	6 years, 188 days	Social Liberals	Stauning II Cabinet
(25)	Steincke, Karl KristianKarl Kristian Steincke (1880–1962)	4 November 1935	15 September 1939	3 years, 315 days	Social Democrats	Stauning II Cabinet–III
26	Larsen, Svend UnmackSvend Unmack Larsen (1893–1965)	15 September 1939	8 July 1940	297 days	Social Democrats	–
27	Petersen, HaraldHarald Petersen (1895–1977)	8 July 1940	9 July 1941	1 year, 1 day	Nonpartisan	Stauning VI Cabinet
28	Jacobsen, Eigil [da] (1880–1949)	9 July 1941	29 August 1943	2 years, 51 days	Nonpartisan	Stauning VI Cabinet Scavenius
No Danish government. Office is assumed by the permanent secretary.^[c]
29	Busch-Jensen, Niels [da] (1886–1987)	5 May 1945	7 November 1945	186 days	Social Democrats	Buhl II
30	Elmquist, Aage [da] (1888–1962)	7 November 1945	13 November 1947	2 years, 6 days	Venstre	Kristensen

Justice ministers under Frederik IX (1947–1972)[]

No.	Justice minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
(29)	Høgsbro, Svend [da] (1886–1987)	13 November 1947	25 February 1950	2 years, 104 days	Social Democrats
31	Buhl, VilhelmVilhelm Buhl (1881–1954)	25 February 1950	4 March 1950	7 days	Social Democrats
(25)	Steincke, Karl KristianKarl Kristian Steincke (1880–1962)	4 March 1950	30 October 1950	240 days	Social Democrats
32	Pedersen, HelgaHelga Pedersen (1911–1980)	30 October 1950	1 October 1953	2 years, 336 days	Venstre
33	Hækkerup, Hans Erling [da] (1907–1974)	1 October 1953	26 September 1964	10 years, 361 days	Social Democrats	& &
34	Nielsen, Knud Axel [da] (1904–1994)	26 September 1964	2 February 1968	3 years, 129 days	Social Democrats
35	Thestrup, Knud [da] (1900–1980)	2 February 1968	11 October 1971	3 years, 251 days	Conservative
(34)	Nielsen, Knud Axel [da] (1904–1994)	11 October 1971	27 September 1973	1 year, 351 days	Social Democrats

Justice ministers under Margrethe II (1972–present)[]

No.	Justice minister	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party	Cabinet
36	Hjortnæs, Karl [da] (born 1934)	27 September 1973	19 December 1973	83 days	Social Democrats
37	Lind, NathalieNathalie Lind (1918–1999)	19 December 1973	13 February 1975	1 year, 56 days	Venstre	Hartling Cabinet
38	Møller, Orla [da] (1916–1979)	13 February 1975	1 October 1977	2 years, 230 days	Social Democrats
39	Jensen, Erling Johannes [da] (1919–2000)	1 October 1977	30 August 1978	333 days	Social Democrats
(37)	Lind, NathalieNathalie Lind (1918–1999)	30 August 1978	26 October 1979	1 year, 57 days	Venstre
40	Rasmussen, Henning [da] (1926–1997)	26 October 1979	20 January 1981	1 year, 86 days	Social Democrats
41	Espersen, OleOle Espersen (1934–2020)	20 January 1981	10 September 1982	1 year, 233 days	Social Democrats	–
42	Ninn-Hansen, ErikErik Ninn-Hansen (1922–2014)	10 September 1982	10 January 1989	6 years, 122 days	Conservative	––
43	Clausen, Hans Peter [da] (1928–1998)	10 January 1989	3 October 1989	266 days	Conservative
44	Schlüter, PoulPoul Schlüter (1929–2021)	3 October 1989	5 October 1989	2 days	Conservative
45	Engell, HansHans Engell (born 1948)	5 October 1989	25 January 1993	3 years, 112 days	Conservative	–
46	Gjellerup, PiaPia Gjellerup (born 1959)	25 January 1993	29 March 1993	63 days	Social Democrats	Poul Nyrup Rasmussen I Cabinet
47	Olsen, ErlingErling Olsen (1927–2011)	29 March 1993	27 September 1994	1 year, 182 days	Social Democrats	Poul Nyrup Rasmussen I Cabinet
48	Westh, BjørnBjørn Westh (born 1944)	27 September 1994	30 December 1996	2 years, 94 days	Social Democrats	Poul Nyrup Rasmussen II Cabinet
49	Jensen, FrankFrank Jensen (born 1961)	30 December 1996	27 November 2001	4 years, 332 days	Social Democrats	Poul Nyrup Rasmussen III Cabinet–IV
50	Espersen, LeneLene Espersen (born 1965)	27 November 2001	10 September 2008	6 years, 288 days	Conservative	Anders Fogh Rasmussen I Cabinet–II–III
51	Mikkelsen, BrianBrian Mikkelsen (born 1966)	10 September 2008	23 February 2010	1 year, 166 days	Conservative	A.F. Rasmussen III L.L. Rasmussen I
52	Barfoed, LarsLars Barfoed (born 1957)	23 February 2010	3 October 2011	1 year, 222 days	Conservative	L.L. Rasmussen I
53	Bødskov, MortenMorten Bødskov (born 1970)	3 October 2011	12 December 2013	2 years, 70 days	Social Democrats	Thorning-Schmidt I
54	Hækkerup, KarenKaren Hækkerup (born 1974)	12 December 2013	10 October 2014	302 days	Social Democrats	Thorning-Schmidt I Cabinet–II
55	Frederiksen, MetteMette Frederiksen (born 1977)	10 October 2014	28 June 2015	251 days	Social Democrats	Thorning-Schmidt II
56	Pind, SørenSøren Pind (born 1969)	28 June 2015	28 November 2016	1 year, 153 days	Venstre	L.L. Rasmussen II
57	Poulsen, Søren PapeSøren Pape Poulsen (born 1971)	28 November 2016	27 June 2019	2 years, 211 days	Conservative	L.L. Rasmussen III
58	Hækkerup, NickNick Hækkerup (born 1968)	27 June 2019	Incumbent	2 years, 223 days	Social Democrats	Frederiksen

According to the data provided above, Helga Pedersen was the first female to serve as the Minister of Justice in Denmark.^[1]

Notes[]

^ Carl Edvard Rottwitt died in office 8 February 1860 while also serving the position of Council President (i.e. Prime Minister). A successor was not nominated until 24 February.
^ Carl Peter Gram Leuning died in office 21 July 1867. A successor was not nominated until 4 September.
^ On 29 August 1943, the Danish government resigned, refusing to grant further concessions to Nazi Germany. All government operations were assumed by the permanent secretaries of the individual departments, and this arrangement lasted until the Liberation of Denmark on 5 May 1945. Since King Christian X never accepted the resignation of the government, it existed de jure until a new cabinet was formed on 5 May 1945.

References[]

^ Laneth, Pia Fris (2009). Lillys Danmarkshistorie (in Danish). Gyldendal A/S. ISBN 9788702067903.

Sources[]

[1] Carl Edvard Rottwitt died in office 8 February 1860 while also serving the position of Council President (i.e. Prime Minister). A successor was not nominated until 24 February.

[2] Carl Peter Gram Leuning died in office 21 July 1867. A successor was not nominated until 4 September.

[3] On 29 August 1943, the Danish government resigned, refusing to grant further concessions to Nazi Germany. All government operations were assumed by the permanent secretaries of the individual departments, and this arrangement lasted until the Liberation of Denmark on 5 May 1945. Since King Christian X never accepted the resignation of the government, it existed de jure until a new cabinet was formed on 5 May 1945.

[4] Laneth, Pia Fris (2009). Lillys Danmarkshistorie (in Danish). Gyldendal A/S. ISBN 9788702067903.

[a]

[b]

[c]

[1]

List of Ministers of Justice (Denmark)

Contents

List of Justice ministers (1848–present)[]

Justice ministers under Frederick VII (1848–1863)[]

Justice ministers under Christian IX (1863–1906)[]

Justice ministers under Frederik VIII (1906–1912)[]

Justice ministers under Christian X (1912–1947)[]

Justice ministers under Frederik IX (1947–1972)[]

Justice ministers under Margrethe II (1972–present)[]

See also[]

Notes[]

References[]

Sources[]