Pålægger

Pålægger is a noun used in Danish and Norwegian to denote a person or authority that imposes an obligation, duty, or restriction on someone else. It derives from the verb pålægge, meaning to lay on or impose, with the agentive suffix -ger. The term is primarily found in formal or administrative language.

In practice, a onlægger can be a government agency, court, regulator, or other authority that issues a pålæg or directive requiring action or conferring a duty. The word emphasizes the act of imposing something rather than merely recommending it. It is commonly used in legal, administrative, or regulatory texts to describe the issuer of a mandate, sanction, or obligation.

Typical contexts include taxation, penalties, environmental or safety regulations, and other legally binding requirements. For example, a tax authority can be described as the pålægger of tax obligations, while a court may be referred to as the pålægger of a penalty or injunction. Employers or contractual parties can also act as pålægger when they impose terms or conditions.

Notes on usage: pålægger is a formal term and may appear more frequently in official documents than in everyday speech. It is often paired with the object of the obligation (the party being imposed upon) and the nature of the pålæg (order, obligation, or sanction). See also pålæg (the act or item being imposed) for related usage.