The Department of Law at Aalborg University is at the forefront both nationally and internationally with research into the development of rules on corruption. Research that can help ensure the establishment of responsible and transparent institutions in accordance with the UN Sustainable Development Goal no. 16, and research that is used directly by the Danish law enforcement authorities, i.a. the police, the prosecuting authority and the courts in specific cases.

In particular, Professor Sten Bønsing's research into rules on “cooling-off” periods for people changing from public to private employment (so-called ‘revolving door rule’) is groundbreaking, as the research contributes to determining how rules can be drawn up if the legislature wants to prevent corruption. Furthermore, anti-corruption rules could meet international criticism, as Denmark, unlike most of the world, has no such rules. This has been pointed out in several international corruption analyses of Denmark, e.g. GRECO's 5th Corruption Evaluation and the EU Commission’s 2020 rule of law report, Denmark.

 

Corruption creates ineffective social structures

‘Both the research into anti-corruption rules and our annual reports to the European Commission must ensure that we act in accordance with the highest laws at all times. Denmark is one of the least corrupt countries in the world, but we must guard against complacency; it can quickly go wrong. A low level of corruption in a country is not just a moral ideal of justice, but can be translated into efficiency and money. Corruption results in inefficient societal structures where the best and cheapest solutions are not necessarily the ones being implemented. Therefore, it’s good business to have a low level of corruption’, says Professor Sten Bønsing, Department of Law.

 

Annual reporting to the European Commission

Sten Bønsing is responsible for 3 to 4 annual reports to the EU Commission on Denmark's compliance with international anti-corruption recommendations. These reports focus i.a. on sustainable systems that ensure a legally robust rule of law system that can withstand corruption, fraud, money laundering and abuse of power.

Read more

• GRECO’s (2019) Fifth Evaluation Round against corruption 
• The European Commission: Annual report on the rule of law situation, 2020
• Sten Bønsing, Business appointment rules ("cooling-off" periods) for civil servants and ministers, Ugeskrift for Retsvæsen, pp. 187-194, 2019
  Abstract in Danish: 
• Sten Bønsing and Lars Bo Langsted; ”Uberettigede” gaver til offentligt ansatte: en forvaltningsretlig og strafferetlig analyse, Ugeskrift for Retsvæsen, 2010, pp. 333-340
  Abstract in Danish 

Contact

Professor Sten Bønsing, Department of Law, email sb@law.aau.dk