Bandidos banned in Denmark after the Helsingør District Court (Retten i Helsingør) ruled on 29 October 2025 that the motorcycle group is an illegal association under Section 78 of the Danish Constitution.
The judgment dissolves the organisation nationwide and confirms that a temporary ban from May 2024 was lawful. The club has appealed to the Eastern High Court (Østre Landsret).
Why the court found an illegal purpose under Section 78
The court concluded that Bandidos MC in Denmark operates as a single association whose activities have included serious and organised crime, giving the group an unlawful purpose alongside any lawful aims.
Under Section 78 (Grundlovens § 78), associations with unlawful purposes can be dissolved by judgment. The ruling therefore prohibits symbols and insignia, shuts down clubhouses and meetings, and allows authorities to seize assets and paraphernalia linked to the association.
Temporary ban from May 2024 upheld
The bench confirmed that the interim prohibition of 22 May 2024—which barred members from using logos, colours and emblems and curtailed organisational activities—was lawful.
During the interim period, several local cases established that displaying Bandidos identifiers in public could amount to continuing the association’s activities in breach of the order. The court’s final ruling now replaces the temporary regime with a permanent dissolution.
Appeal to Østre Landsret and possible timeline
Bandidos’ counsel has appealed the district court’s judgment to Østre Landsret, arguing the club is a motorcycle association with a lawful purpose.
An appeal will test the evidence and constitutional reasoning at a higher instance and could ultimately be brought before the Supreme Court (Højesteret). Until a higher court overturns it, the dissolution order remains in force across Denmark.
Loyal to Familia precedent and constitutional safeguards
Denmark’s Supreme Court (Højesteret) in 2021 upheld the dissolution of Loyal to Familia (LTF) under Section 78(1), setting a modern precedent for disbanding associations tied to systematic criminality.
The Bandidos ruling follows the same constitutional track: it recognises freedom of association while clarifying that the Constitution does not protect groups whose core activities involve serious crime.
Implications for policing and Nordic cooperation
The ruling strengthens tools for Danish police and prosecutors to target organised crime, including the removal of gang symbols from public spaces and confiscation of related items.
Authorities have indicated they continually assess whether the dissolution instrument could apply to other gang or biker associations. Given cross‑border links among Nordic biker groups, observers expect spillover effects—from displacement risks to coordination needs for law enforcement—across Sweden, Norway and Finland.
What is Section 78?
Section 78 of the Danish Constitution (Grundloven) guarantees freedom of association but permits courts to dissolve associations whose purpose or activities are unlawful. The provision requires a court judgment and is applied rarely, reflecting the high threshold for restricting an association’s freedom. The Bandidos case joins LTF (2021) as a landmark application of this clause.
Reactions in Denmark
The Justice Minister (Justitsministeren) welcomed the decision as part of the broader effort to counter gangs and organised crime. Prosecutors described the verdict as a clear signal that Danish society distances itself from associations involved in extensive, harmful criminality over decades.
Representatives linked to Bandidos expressed disappointment and maintained the group is primarily a motorcycle club, underscoring the issues likely to be argued on appeal.
What changes for members and affiliates now
Following the judgment, Danish authorities can:
- Shut remaining clubhouses and meetings linked to the group.
- Seize vests, patches and insignia and other association property.
- Charge individuals who continue the association’s activities in defiance of the dissolution order.
Members and affiliates should note that breaching the dissolution order can trigger criminal liability, separate from other offences.
The case now moves to Østre Landsret. Whatever the outcome on appeal, the district court’s ruling marks a significant test of how far Section 78 can be used against organised crime in Denmark, with regional implications for the Nordics and the EU.
