Today in Denmark: A roundup of the latest news on Monday
Justice minister to scrap police targets, New Right party loses half its members, law professor expects intelligence leak cases to be dropped, and 60 percent more rain than normal in October.
Danish justice minister wants to reduce 'rigid' police targets
Peter Hummelgaard, Denmark's justice minister, has told the Jyllands-Posten newspaper that police in Denmark have been tied up in meeting "far too rigid goals", saying that he wants to strip their number of targets back from seven to just two.
"This is about ensuring that planning their daily routine takes place where they have the most familiarity with individual cases, and that is out in individual police districts," Hummelgaard told the newspaper.
He aims to keep just two targets: that, on average, no more than 180 days should pass between a report to the police and a decision by the prosecutor on whether or not to press charges, and that, in cases with a possible prison sentence, no more than 165 days should pass between a report and an indictment.
Danish vocabulary: politikredse - police districts
New Right Party loses half its members in six months
The far-right New Right party (Nye Borgerlige) has lost as many as half of its members in the space of just six months, after a turbulent period when party chair Lars Boje Mathiesen was ousted and thrown out of the party.
According to the Politiken newspaper, the party had 12,000 paying members as recently as February this year and is now down to just 6,500.
The reduction could bring even more problems to the party's leader, Pernille Vermund, as much of its income comes from membership fees.
The party has also suffered Mette Thiesen and Mikkel Bjørn, two of its most senior politicians, crossing over to the rival Danish People's Party, along with a string of local politicians.
The party held its annual members' meeting on Saturday in Copenhagen.
Danish vocabulary: formand - chairman
Prosecutors may drop Danish intelligence leak cases: professor
One of Denmark's leading law professors, Aarhus University's Lasse Lund Madsen, has written that he expects Danish prosecutors to drop their cases against former defence minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen and Lars Findsen, former head of the Defence Intelligence Services, after a decision from the Supreme Court requiring parts of the case to be held in open court.
Five Supreme Court judges on Friday rejected the prosecution's demand for the trial to be held completely behind closed doors, arguing that the existence of an agreement between the US and Denmark to tap into an internet cable was now common knowledge.
"This almost totally undermines the view of the Defence Intelligence Service case held by the Defence Intelligence Service, the Police Intelligence Service, the government and the prosecution," Lund Madsen wrote.
He also noted that on October 12th, the prosecution had suffered another defeat, when the Supreme Court ruled that Findsen was entitled to be given a copy of the indictment.
Danish vocabulary: en sag - a case
October had 60 percent more rain than normal
Denmark was soaked in 60 percent more rain than normal in October, with 134.3mm falling during the month, compared to the norm of 83.2mm, the country's state forecaster DMI reported on Monday.
On a line across Jutland between Blåvand and Djursland, over 225mm of rain fell in October, more than triple the normal amount.
"All that rain has meant that creeks and streams are overflowing in many places, especially in the western part of the country," the forecaster wrote. "Because it takes some time for the water to dissipate, the problems are only expected to subside slowly over the next few days."
The forecaster also expects Denmark to see the year's first frost from Tuesday night.
Danish vocabulary: tredobbelte - tripled
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Danish justice minister wants to reduce 'rigid' police targets
Peter Hummelgaard, Denmark's justice minister, has told the Jyllands-Posten newspaper that police in Denmark have been tied up in meeting "far too rigid goals", saying that he wants to strip their number of targets back from seven to just two.
"This is about ensuring that planning their daily routine takes place where they have the most familiarity with individual cases, and that is out in individual police districts," Hummelgaard told the newspaper.
He aims to keep just two targets: that, on average, no more than 180 days should pass between a report to the police and a decision by the prosecutor on whether or not to press charges, and that, in cases with a possible prison sentence, no more than 165 days should pass between a report and an indictment.
Danish vocabulary: politikredse - police districts
New Right Party loses half its members in six months
The far-right New Right party (Nye Borgerlige) has lost as many as half of its members in the space of just six months, after a turbulent period when party chair Lars Boje Mathiesen was ousted and thrown out of the party.
According to the Politiken newspaper, the party had 12,000 paying members as recently as February this year and is now down to just 6,500.
The reduction could bring even more problems to the party's leader, Pernille Vermund, as much of its income comes from membership fees.
The party has also suffered Mette Thiesen and Mikkel Bjørn, two of its most senior politicians, crossing over to the rival Danish People's Party, along with a string of local politicians.
The party held its annual members' meeting on Saturday in Copenhagen.
Danish vocabulary: formand - chairman
Prosecutors may drop Danish intelligence leak cases: professor
One of Denmark's leading law professors, Aarhus University's Lasse Lund Madsen, has written that he expects Danish prosecutors to drop their cases against former defence minister Claus Hjort Frederiksen and Lars Findsen, former head of the Defence Intelligence Services, after a decision from the Supreme Court requiring parts of the case to be held in open court.
Five Supreme Court judges on Friday rejected the prosecution's demand for the trial to be held completely behind closed doors, arguing that the existence of an agreement between the US and Denmark to tap into an internet cable was now common knowledge.
"This almost totally undermines the view of the Defence Intelligence Service case held by the Defence Intelligence Service, the Police Intelligence Service, the government and the prosecution," Lund Madsen wrote.
He also noted that on October 12th, the prosecution had suffered another defeat, when the Supreme Court ruled that Findsen was entitled to be given a copy of the indictment.
Danish vocabulary: en sag - a case
October had 60 percent more rain than normal
Denmark was soaked in 60 percent more rain than normal in October, with 134.3mm falling during the month, compared to the norm of 83.2mm, the country's state forecaster DMI reported on Monday.
On a line across Jutland between Blåvand and Djursland, over 225mm of rain fell in October, more than triple the normal amount.
"All that rain has meant that creeks and streams are overflowing in many places, especially in the western part of the country," the forecaster wrote. "Because it takes some time for the water to dissipate, the problems are only expected to subside slowly over the next few days."
The forecaster also expects Denmark to see the year's first frost from Tuesday night.
Danish vocabulary: tredobbelte - tripled
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