Venue (værneting)
Also known as judicial district, home forum, jurisdiction, retskreds, hjemting
The venue is the court where a case must be heard — as a general rule, where the debtor lives or has its place of business.
Key facts
- General rule
- The debtor's home forum
- Can be agreed
- In commercial contracts
In practice
The venue decides where the case is heard. The general rule is the debtor’s home forum — that is, their judicial district, not yours.
Between businesses, venue can be agreed in advance, and it is worth doing. A venue clause in your terms of trade means the case can be heard on your home ground rather than at the other end of the country — or abroad.
Where it commonly goes wrong
- The terms of trade say nothing about venue. Then the general rule applies, and you travel to the case.
- The clause sits in your terms but was never accepted. A line at the foot of the invoice is not an agreement.
- You agree Danish venue with a foreign business customer and forget enforcement. The judgment still has to be executed where the assets are.