Domstol

The Domstol (Danish: Domstolen) is the official royal court of the Kingdom of Denmark and Danish Realm, and one of two bodies which constitute the Parliament of Denmark, alongside the Folketing. Unlike the Folketing, the Domstol is not a legislative chamber, and as such the Danish Parliament is considered to be unicameral. The Domstol instead serves as a de facto advisory council to the Danish monarch who, according to Danish constitutional law, is required to give royal assent to have any bill passed in the Folketing signed into law, as well as to make official the formation of a new government (the Cabinet of Denmark) or Supreme Court lineup; it is the Domstol which is responsible for facilitating this monarchical responsibility by ensuring the monarch is fully aware of the properties and implications of a given measure.

The Domstol normally consists of 30 members, who are officially referred to as "advisors" (rådgivere; sg. rådgiver); they are typically very learned in matters such as constitutional law, political science and strategy, sociology, foreign relations, etc., and are expected to provide their expert opinion in all relevant contexts during which the Domstol is summoned. Rådgivere are appointed by the monarch, often on the recommendation of senior or retiring rådgivere, and serve at Her Majesty's pleasure, although ten years is the typical period. There are no official educational or professional prerequisites of rådgivere, although Domstol appointments are based on the area of expertise a potential rådgiver can bring to the table. In legislative proceedings, the Domstol is responsible for supporting the monarch in reviewing and ultimately giving royal assent to bills passed in the Folketing as well as approved governments and/or official cabinet and judicial positions.

The Domstol meets in a dedicated conference room (domstolssalen) on the second floor of Christiansborg Palace in central Copenhagen, which also houses the Folketing on the main floor in a large auditorium (folketingssalen) as well as the offices of the Prime Minister of Denmark and several senior cabinet members.

As the Domstol is officially the court of the Danish monarch, it is unique in that no counterpart exists in either of the two autonomous territories which, alongside the Kingdom of Denmark, make up the Danish Realm (as the Danish monarch is simultaneously the monarch of Denmark and the other two countries of the Realm). Thus, the Parliament of the Faroe Islands and the Parliament of the Danish Antilles are each truly unicameral, with royal assent for passed measures obtained via their governors general in a significantly more automatic and simplified manner than that used in the Danish Parliament. The Domstol can, however, preside over one of the other two parliaments at the monarch's request, in which case royal assent would be granted directly by the monarch through the Domstol; this has happened, however, only twice in history—each time when the territorial parliament was opened for the first time.