Legal System

The legal system of Denmark is primarily based on its civil code although the system also includes mechanisms for reviewing legislative acts.

Civil law, also called Continental law or Romano-Germanic law, is the most prevalent legal system in the world. The main difference between civil and common law is that that common law draws abstract rules from specific cases, whereas civil law starts with abstract rules, which judges must then apply to the various cases before them. In other words, historically speaking, common law is based upon traditions and laws are codified following court rulings. On the other hand, in the case of civil law, laws are first codified and then applied.

Privacy

At this time Denmark has not signed a Tax Information Exchange Agreement; it has, however, signed a Mutual Assistance Treaty with the United States. Also, Denmark is a full a participant in the European Union Savings Directive and has agreed to share personal information with other nations. As such, Denmark does not offer a particularly high level of privacy for EU citizens. Furthermore, by agreeing to exchange information as part of the European Union Savings Directive, Denmark has opened itself up to questions about its commitment to protecting the privacy of its foreign investors.