Hans Wilhelm Munch-Petersen (26 March 1869 - 8 September 1934) was a

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...

scholar, jurist and author who pushed for legal reforms, more rights for women and other

social justice Social justice is justice in terms of the distribution of wealth, Equal opportunity, opportunities, and Social privilege, privileges within a society. In Western Civilization, Western and Culture of Asia, Asian cultures, the concept of social ...

issues in Denmark. His most influential work was ''Den danske Retspleje.''

Early life

Munch-Petersen was son of the medical historian, Professor Julius Petersen and the brother of studied at the Metropolitan School in 1886, cand. jur. in 1891, and received the 1893 University Gold Medal for a forensic essay. His dissertation was ''Løftet og dets Causa'' (1896) He received his law degree in 1896. His children were and Erwin Munch-Petersen.

Career

In 1896 Munch-Petersen became an assistant in the Department of Justice for the

Government of Denmark The Cabinet of Denmark ( da, regering) has been the chief executive body and the government of the Kingdom of Denmark since 1848. The Cabinet is led by the Prime Minister. There are around 25 members of the Cabinet, known as "ministers", all of wh ...

. In 1899, he named a docent, in 1901 a university professor. In 1921, he was named university administrator and in 1923 university rector (Rector Magnificus). He left his position as rector in 1924. From 1918 until 1922, Munch-Petersen was also chairman of the board of rent cases for

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

and

Frederiksberg Frederiksberg () is a part of the Capital Region of Denmark. It is formally an independent municipality, Frederiksberg Municipality, separate from Copenhagen Municipality, but both are a part of the City of Copenhagen. It occupies an area of ...

. He also served on several government commissions including the universitets komimissionen from 1912 and the commission for the reform of the military justice. Influenced by reforms in

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

, Munch-Petersen advocated in his publications for legal reform in Denmark. Although not politically active, he wanted to transform the laws in a

socialist Socialism is a left-wing economic philosophy and movement encompassing a range of economic systems characterized by the dominance of social ownership of the means of production as opposed to private ownership. As a term, it describes the ...

spirit as described in his books. His social interests have also influenced his role as an arbitration judge in disputes between workers and employers.

Legal papers

* ', * ''Tidsskrift for Retsvidenskab'' ("Den saakaldte negative Kontraktsinteresse", XI, 1898) * ''Tilskueren'' ("Procesret og Menneskeret", 1899) . * ''Den borgerlige Ret i Hovedtræk'' (The Civil Court of Main) (1901, 5th edition 1921 plus 1922), * ''Retstilfælde til Brug ved det juridiske Studium'' (Legal Cases to Use at the Law Study) (1901, 3rd edition 1922) * ''Den danske Retspleje'' (IV, 1917–19, with the addition and professional register in 1919, 2nd edition 1923 et seq.), ''Retsplejeloven af 11 April 1916'' (Procedural Laws of 11 April 1916). * ''Den danske Lovgivning og den sociale Retfærdighed'' (The Danish Law and Social Justice) (1906) * ''April 1916 med senere Tillægsbestemmelser, Henvisninger og udførligt Fagregister'' (1919) with Appendix (1922), and jurors. ''En almenfattelig Oversigt'' (1919). I * ''Retsreformen med Hensyn til vor Strafferetspleje'' (1902), * ''Den nye Retspleje belyst i sine Grundtræk'' (1908) * Retspleje og Kultur (University Programme 1913), * ''En danske Civilproces i Hovedtræk'' (In 1906, II 1908 III 1915 IV 1911 2nd edition, 1915) * ''Sociale Retfærdighedskrav i dansk Lovgivning'' (Social Justice Demands in Danish Law) Munch-Petersen also published articles in '' Tilskueren'', ''Det ny Aarhundrede'' and especially ''Ugeskrift for Retsvæsen'', whose literary department he edited 1906-20, and in its edition of ''Lov om Rettens Pleje'' (1908, 1909).

Death and legacy

Munch-Petersen died on 8 September 1934. He is buried at the Western Cemetery. His grandson was the literary scholar and librarian

Erland Munch-Petersen Erland Munch-Petersen (28 March 1930 – 12 May 1997) was a Danish literary scholar and professor at the University of Gothenburg. He was the general editor of the '' Guide to Nordic bibliography''. Biography Munch-Petersen was born in Copenhagen ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Munch-Petersen, Hans 1869 births 20th-century Danish lawyers 1934 deaths Lawyers from Copenhagen Danish socialists Arbitrators Danish judges