Arrested in Copenhagen: 24 hours, and the preliminary hearing
Denmark works on 24 hours. If you have not been released within that time you must be brought before a court for a preliminary statutory hearing, where a judge decides between release, custody, and extending the arrest — which can be done for up to three further periods of 24 hours where the evidence is not yet sufficient to decide.
The Danish clock
| Step | Rule | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Release or court | Within 24 hours of the arrest | The preliminary statutory hearing |
| The judge's options | Release, custody, or extension | Decided at that hearing |
| Extension | Up to three further periods of 24 hours | Where the evidence is not yet sufficient |
| Grounds | Risk of jeopardising the investigation, and others | Stated by the police |
| European Arrest Warrant | Custody to ensure availability for surrender | Same hearing structure |
| Lawyer | Right to one, and to an interpreter | Ask expressly |
The extension mechanism is the point people miss. Twenty-four hours is the limit before a judge, not the limit of detention: where the court cannot yet decide, the arrest continues in blocks, and each of those blocks is a further opportunity to put material before the judge.
What actually happens in Copenhagen
- Nightlife in the centre and Vesterbro: fights, public order, intoxication offences.
- Drugs. Denmark is strict, and the tolerance that once existed in Christiania has been dismantled — assumptions based on its reputation produce cases.
- Cycling, where offences that seem trivial elsewhere are enforced, including riding under the influence.
- Theft accusations in shops and around the stations.
- The airport and the Öresund crossing to Sweden: customs, cash and alert-based arrests.
- Financial and corporate proceedings, given the concentration of headquarters and shipping.
The Öresund point matters practically: crossing to Malmö takes minutes and puts you in a different jurisdiction, so a case can have two national ends within a single evening.
Where an Italian lawyer comes in
Only a lawyer admitted in Denmark can appear before its courts. The Italian side covers the rest: selecting and briefing that lawyer, explaining the position to the family in their own language, and handling anything with an Italian end — a parallel proceeding, a warrant issued by Italy, an alert in circulation. The model is in how a correspondent case is run.
Frequently asked questions
How long before I see a judge in Denmark?
Within twenty-four hours of the arrest, at a preliminary statutory hearing where a judge decides between release, custody and extension.
Can they hold me longer than 24 hours?
Yes, by extension: where the evidence is not yet sufficient to decide, the arrest can be extended for up to three further periods of twenty-four hours.
Is Christiania still tolerated?
No. Assumptions based on its old reputation produce cases: Denmark enforces drug law strictly.
Is cycling under the influence an offence?
Yes, and cycling offences generally are enforced here far more than visitors expect.
If this is happening now
First contact is free and covered by professional privilege, at any hour including nights and holidays.