Minister vows to treat comparable degrees equally

Graduates with a Faroese law degree should be put on a par with those who have a Danish law degree.

This was the essence of Danish justice minister Søren Pape Poulsen’s reply to Magni Arge, a Faroese member of the Danish Parliament, who enquired about the validity of the new law course at the University of the Faroe Islands.

Arge’s enquiry comes after doubt has been cast on whether Faroese graduates will qualify to work as lawyers or judges in the Faroese legal system.

Procedural code under review

Danish law prescribes that the Faroese procedural code requires a specific equivalence authorisation clause for Danish education authorities to approve the Faroese course.

Poulsen said in his reply that if the two degrees are of equal academic value, the Faroese degree should be weighted equally to its Danish counterpart.

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He added that the Faroese procedural code is currently being reviewed in Denmark, and that a decision will be made soon regarding amendments.

“If it turns out that two degrees are of the same academic value, I will do everything I can to make sure they are put on an equal footing,” he said.

Translated by prosa.fo