OPENNESS AND
RECEPTIVENESS
RESPECTFUL TREATMENT
CREDIBILITY
ACCOUNTABILITY
THE COURTS OF DENMARK
– FOR LAW AND JUSTICE
THE COURTS’ ROLE AND DUTY
The courts protect our democracy, society ruled by law
and the legal rights of individuals.
In the words of the constitution: The courts have the
judicial power.
The courts’ duties are defined in the constitution and
other legislation.
The courts impose sentences and settle disputes between individuals, companies and public authorities. The
courts decide issues on the legality of the actions of
public authorities and ensure that legislation is in accordance with the constitution and with Denmark’s international obligations. The courts also decide enforcement
proceedings, probate matters and land registration.
The courts must ensure equality before the law and protect the individual against abuses of power. According to
the constitution, judges are therefore independent – they
must decide cases only according to the law and be impartial. They must not be guided by political or other extraneous interests.
Vision
VALUES
The courts work in a contemporary and professional
manner for law and justice by making the right decisions
at the right time – decisions that are well-founded and
easy to understand. In this way we earn the public’s trust
and respect.
The courts are built upon strong values that we do our
best to live up to every day and in all contexts, both
externally and internally.
THE COURTS HAVE
THE JUDICIAL POWER
ACCOUNTABILITY
The courts must make correct, justified and clear decisions in a timely manner. We must therefore have the
necessary professional skills and people skills to perform our duties with the highest quality and efficiency
possible.
Everyone at the courts have a shared responsibility for
both the individual court’s outcome and for the courts in
general. Therefore, we share knowledge and we develop
and encourage the use of best practices.
RESPECTFUL TREATMENT
We treat everybody properly and with respect. We demonstrate an understanding of the individual’s situation
and background, and we respect diversity. We express
ourselves in a clear and comprehensible manner, both
verbally and in writing.
CREDIBILITY
In the courts, we work according to the law, and we
are trustworthy. We are not influenced by extraneous
considerations. We are impartial and neutral, and we are
aware that we must appear as such at any given time.
OPENNESS AND RECEPTIVENESS
The courts must be open and accessible to all. We cooperate with each other and our service users in respect
of the framework that applies to the courts. We work
for the courts to develop in a contemporary way as an
organisation and as a workplace.
OBJECTIVES AND FOCUS AREAS FOR
THE COURTS OF DENMARK 2013 - 2018
The Courts of Denmark have a number of objectives and
focus areas for 2013 - 2018. There are four main objectives for the period and a number of focus areas that are
important in order to achieve these objectives.
Digitization at the courts plays a significant role for all
objectives and focus areas.
THE FOUR MAIN OBJECTIVES ARE:
• Short case processing times
• More consistency in the performance of duties
• Contemporary communication
• Continue to be an attractive workplace.
1.
SHORT CASE PROCESSING TIMES
The courts’ case processing times are of great
importance. Every day the courts make decisions or take
actions that affect the individual citizen or company.
Case processing times must therefore be short and
uniform across the country so that people with similar
cases will have their cases processed within the same
time frame – no matter where the case is handled.
It is our ambition to reduce case processing times and
achieve consistent processing times in similar cases.
We will therefore focus on the possibilities of:
• increasing flexibility and mobility in the court system
• streamlining the administration of justice
• optimizing the administrative procedures
in collaboration with service users.
2.
MORE CONSISTENCY WHEN CARRYING OUT DUTIES
In many areas, it is important for service users
that the courts’ case processing and administrative procedures become more uniform.
It is therefore our ambition that the courts are to implement a number of projects in order to create more
consistency in carrying out their duties. We will therefore focus on:
• outlining the courts’ diversity in a number of selected
areas
• developing common standards and practices in areas
where it is important for service users
• establishing a good framework for knowledge sharing.
OBJECTIVES AND FOCUS AREAS
3.
CONTEMPORARY COMMUNICATION
It is an essential prerequisite to maintain confidence in the courts that the citizens know and understand the courts’ decisions and function in society.
Communication must be clear and contemporary, both
in and outside the courtroom.
It is our ambition to raise public awareness about the
courts in general and case law, both through the means
of better communication and by modernizing the language used in court. We will therefore focus on:
• raising public awareness of the courts’ role and duties
• explaining court decisions
• ensuring timely and understandable letters and
­decisions.
OBJECTIVES AND
FOCUS AREAS
4.
CONTINUE TO BE AN ATTRACTIVE WORKPLACE
It is an essential prerequisite for achieving the
overall objectives that everyone at the Courts of Denmark is suitably qualified and competent. The courts
should be an attractive workplace that can attract and
retain highly qualified employees.
We therefore need to publicize that the courts are a
workplace with strong values, big professional challenges for the individual employee, and offer exciting and
socially relevant duties. We also need to voice and work
to expand the great opportunities for further training
and skills development for all employees.
It is our ambition that the courts must be one of the
most attractive public workplaces by 2018. We will
therefore focus on:
• ensuring and attracting qualified applicants for all
positions
• ensuring and attracting skilled and competent managers
• working for the positive development of each employee as well as improving his or her ability to handle
challenges and responsibilities
• increasing employee satisfaction
• publicizing awareness of the courts as a workplace.