Danish Code

The historical book Gesta Danorum by Saxo Grammaticus, which is dated to the 13th century, describes the Danish kings' attempts at legislation.

The Danish Code is seen as being born of necessity, as justice was at the time administered on the basis of a large number of somewhat contradictory laws.

King Frederick III then established The First Law Committee consisting of 3 jurists (including Supreme Court Assessor Peder Lassen), 8 noblemen and 10 civilians.

The Committee drafted several completely new statutes, and especially Peder Lassens suggestions regarding inheritance were ahead of their time in Denmark.

The new Committee reflected the influence of statesman Peder Schumacher (Count Griffenfeld after his ennoblement), as both Parsberg and Vinding were his close friends.

A professor of history and geography, Vinding had a good reputation as a gifted judge, but lacked in-depth knowledge of the Danish laws.

In practice, all earlier work was abandoned, which was a defeat for Lassen who had been the driving force so far, and perhaps a tactical move by the King to have him superseded by Vinding.

[3] Of the four submitted drafts, Vinding's so-called Codex Fredericus gained the best reception, after which legislative work dwindled down again.

[4] By the end of 1669, Vinding put forth his suggestions, which was an updated version of his earlier Codex Fredericus, but with a more systematic setup and fewer outdated or contradictory sections.

Small corrections continued to be made until June 23, where the Law was printed, even though it was officially completed on April 15, the King's birthday.

The codification of Danish law had the purpose of establishing royal prestige by Frederick III and Christian V. It was partly addressed at regarding economic development and centralisation in Denmark, by creation of a more encompassing single, authorized statutory text.

The Lov outlawed “crimes against nature “(Danish: omgængelse mod naturen), a collective term for a group of sexual acts including sodomy and bestiality; the prescribed punishment was that of burning at the stake.

[9] Some later professors of law and history, notably the famed late 18th and early 19th century Danish jurist Anders Sandøe Ørsted, as well as, Edvard Holm, have commented that the promulgation of the Danske Lov was one particularly positive aspect of the period of absolute monarchy in Denmark.

This enactment followed in form the moves made by many European absolute monarchies at the time, in the desire to create a separate, independent and centralised body of law in the Kingdom and ‘nation’ (with a somewhat different understanding of the latter term than had sometimes later been used).