Henrik Ernst (jurist)

Henrik (Heinrich) Ernst (7 February 1603 – 7 April 1665) was a German-Danish jurist and philologist who held a professorial chair in jurisprudence and moral philosophy at Sorø Academy from 1639. As a member of the First and Second Law Commissions, in 1661–1665 he contributed to the early work on the preparation of Christian V's Danish Code. In 1771, he was also appointed a Supreme Court justice.

Ernst was associated Sorø Academy from around 1623. He acted as Hofmeister for young noblemen, most notably Prince Valdemar Christian, both during their stay at the academy and on their Grand Tours abroad. ^[1] In 1639, he became a professor in jurisprudence and moral philosophy at the academy. Over the next years, he published a number of works on law, classical philology and theology. He left Sorø Academy in around 1660.^[2]

At the introduction of absolutism in Denmark in 1660, Ernst was appointed as an assessor in Danske Kancelli. In 1661, he was also appointed Supreme Court justice.^[1]

In 1771, when a commission was set up to prepare a codification of Danish law, Ernst was selected as one of four jurists in the commission. The others were Rasmus Enevoldsen Brochmann (1609–1662), Peder Scavenius (1623–1685) and Peder Lassen (1606–1681). The other members of the commission were eight representatives of the nobility and 12 representatives of the bourgeoisie. On 16 November 1662, when it was decided to continue the work in a smaller commission, Ernst was once again selected as one of the members of this so-called Second Law Commission. The three other members were Peder Lassen, Niels Trolle and Otte Krag. In October 1664, they were joined by Peder Reedtz, Ivar Krabbe, Hans Nansen and Hans Svane. Ernst died before the Third Law Commission was set up (23 February 1777).^[3]

• Ernst, Henrich