Born on 24 June 1911 near Korsør Nor, Denmark

• Master of Laws degree from the University of Copenhagen 1936 
• Ministry of Justice 1936
• Postgraduate studies at Columbia University in New York 1946–1947 
• Judge of the High Court of Eastern Denmark 1947–1948 
• Judge of the Copenhagen District Court (excluding periods as Minister of Justice) 1948–1956 
• Chair of the National Council of Danish Women 1949–1950 
• Delegate to the General Conference of UNESCO, ultimately serving as Chair of the Danish delegation 1949–1974 
• Minister of Justice 1950-1953 
• Took part in the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 1950 
• Member of the Danish Constitutional Commission 1951 
• Appointed Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog, becoming the first woman to receive that rank 1951 
• Served as a member of the Danish Parliament, the Folketinget, acting as legal spokesperson for her party 1953-1964 
• Judge of the High Court of Eastern Denmark 1956–1964 
• Member of the Copyright Council 1963–1972 
• Judge of the Supreme Court of Denmark, the second woman to hold that office 1964 
• Chair of the Board of Representatives of the Danish National Arts Foundation 1964–1973 
• Elected to the Conciliation and Good Offices Commission set up by UNESCO under the Convention against Discrimination in Education 1970 
• Judge of the European Court of Human Rights, the first woman to hold that position 1971–1980 
• Chair of the Danish Press Board 1972–1980 
• Chair of the Foundation for Trees and the Environment 1974–1980 
• Published the book Le Danemark a-t-il sauvé Céline in Danish and in French 1975 
• Promoted to Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog, 1st Degree 1976 
• Awarded the Gold Medal of the Association of World Peace Through Law 1976 
• Died on 27 January 1980 near Korsør Nor, Denmark.