Lay judge not disqualified

Case no. 100/2015
Order made on 11 September 2015

The Public Prosecutor
vs.
T

The case concerned whether lay judge A was disqualified for the hearing of an assault case, because he was registered as a "Facebook friend" of B, who is a member of the Copenhagen City Council. B was the aggrieved party and gave evidence before the District Court. On two occasions, A had posted positive comments for B's Facebook post, and had also on one occasion expressed his support for B in a Facebook campaign against B's political beliefs. A and B did not know each other personally and had never met or spoken to each other, and A's comments did not concern the criminal case.

The Supreme Court held that the fact that A was registered as a Facebook friend of B and the interaction on Facebook between A and B did not disqualify A as a lay judge in the criminal case.