Council of State (Denmark)
This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2014) |
The Council of State (Danish: Statsrådet, Faroese: Ríkisráðið, Greenlandic: Naalagaaffimmi Siunnersuisoqatigiit) is the privy council of the Kingdom of Denmark. The body of advisors to the Danish monarch, the council is a formal institution, with largely ceremonial functions. Chaired by the monarch, the council comprises all cabinet ministers and the crown prince or princess when coming of age. When unavailable, the monarch is represented by the regent or Lord Protector (Danish: Rigsforstander).
In its beginnings, the council was a place of debate amongst the ministers over government policy. However, since the formation of real political parties at the beginning of the 20th century, these debates were moved from the council to informal ministerial meetings where government
Besides enacting parliamentary bills, as a rule all government bills also have to have formal approval by the monarch and a minister before introduction to parliament. Approval is also given by the council to all of the monarch's official actions as head of state.
Council protocols are secret. Although being a formal part of the legal enactment procedure in Denmark, the royal assent is nowadays only a formality, as the Danish monarch does not directly participate in formal decision-making and is obliged to sign all passed laws at the monthly called Statsråd meetings.
Unlike its
The Council and the Constitution
Section 17 of the Danish constitution (Danish: Danmarks Riges Grundlov) in broad terms set the rules for the council. Section 18 of the constitution which allows for ministers to hold council meetings without the monarch, a so-called Council of Ministers, is no longer in effect.
Section 17
(1) The body of Ministers shall form the Council of State, in which the Heir to the Throne shall have a seat when of age. The Council of State shall be presided over by the King except in the instance mentioned in section 8, and in instances where the legislature in pursuance of section 9 may have delegated the conduct of government to the Council of State.
(2) All Bills and important government measures shall be discussed in the Council of State.
From Council Presidium to Prime Minister's Office
From 1848 to 1918 the person in charge of the Council’s presidium (
The office consists of the Prime Minister, a secretariat to the Prime Minister and a department headed by a permanent secretary of state. Besides being the office of the PM, it is also the ministry for the press and Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
See also
References
- ^ "Stadfæstelse". Justitsministeriet, Erhvervs- og Vækstministeriet og Finansministeriet. Archived from the original on 2013-10-10.