Denmark

Conscription:

Yes

Highly selective conscription through a lottery, though nobody is actually drafted, since all used are volunteers.

There are no plans to suspend/abolish conscription in the near future. There are plans for female conscription. Defence Minister Jakob Ellemann-Jensen made the announcement in an interview with TV2. [1]

Conscientious objection:

1917

First recognised by Alternative Service Act, 13^th Dec. The conscripts in Denmark have the right to refuse military service and service in the Danish Emergency Management Agency on the grounds of conscientious objection (CO), according to Article 1, Subsection 1, in the Act No. 226 of 13^th of March 2006 of announcement of law on conscientious objectors. CO-status is granted to a person, who objects to military service and service in the Danish Emergency Management Agency based on reasons of conscience. Objection is accepted when based on religious or ethical reasons. An application solely politically based will be refused. Legislatives of the CO-service (law and departmental order): www.retsinformation.dk/eli/lta/2008/995

The national law on conscientious objectors applies only on the conscripts. So, no human right to conscientious objection is recognized for the professional military.

Professional military personnel are employed on contract, which means they can be given notice (dismissal) or they can give notice (resignation) according to the terms stated in their respective contracts. They have to obey the normal demands of their contract, which is 1-6 months’ notice to break out. No reason need to be given. All contracted service men in the military are since 2015 on indefinite contracts until terminated or pension age. Even after contracts are finished or broken, they are still obligated as military reserves until pension age - with no way to say no.

The volunteers actually serve under the rules for conscripts, and as such can apply to be transferred to CO service. The volunteer conscripts do not have a "contract", but an "agreement": https://karriere.forsvaret.dk/globalassets/pdf/aftale_om_vpl_ans-3.pdf

Service

Military:

4

The duration of the military service normally varies from 4 months up to 12 months.

Civilian:

4

The duration of the civilian service / conscientious objection service (CO-service) has to be equal to the duration of the military service, from which the conscript is transferred. The duration of the service normally varies from 4 months up to 12 months, so accordingly the COs have differentiated duration of service, but to most of them, the duration of the service is 4 months.

Minimum

Conscription:

18

The legal minimum age for conscription in a time of peace and war is 18.

Voluntary enlistment:

18

More

https://ebco-beoc.org/denmark including the reply of the Danish Ministry of Defence Personnel Agency to the Questionnaire about EBCO’s Annual Report 2022 (e-mail on 26/01/2023), as well as the reply of the Danish Institute for Human Rights (e-mail on 19/01/2023).