Changes in the Dutch judicial systemChanges in the Dutch judicial system

Dr. Pim Albers

Ministry of Justice

The current judicial structure

Supreme Court

Court of Appeal

(5)

District courts

(19)

The structure of a district court

ch am be r 1ch a irm an

ju dg es

ch am be r 2ch a irm an

ju dg es

ch am be r 3ch a irm an

ju dg es

A d m in is tra tive se c tionv ice -p re s id e n t

C iv il se c tionv ice -p re s id e n t

P e n a l sec tionv ice -p re s id e n t

M u n icip a l se c tionv ice -p re s id e n t

M a na ge m e n tte amp re sid e n t

co -o rd in a ting v ice -p re sid e n tsd ire c to r o f Ju d icia l sup p o rt

Pressure on the organisation

• Technological and economic progress

• Development of crime

• Increasing numbers of claims

• Internationalisation of law

• Growing interest of politicians and media

The Leemhuis-commission (1998)

• Need for strengthening of the independence of the judiciary

• Introduction of a Judicial Council• Introduction of integral management in the courts• Integration of municipal courts into district courts• Increase of financial resources for the judiciary

(structural increase of the budget with 136 million euros and incidental increase of the budget with 77 million euro

Implementation of ‘Leemhuis’:‘The judicial organisation 21st

century’

• Tailored jurisdiction (rechtspraak op maat)

• Accessibility

• Unity of law

• Timeliness

• External orientation

Activities

• Departmental projects (including a legislative programme: drafting of the Law on the Judicial Council and the modification of the Law on the Organisation and Management of Courts)

• pVRO (Reinforcement Judicial Organisation Programme)

Budget for the reform

1999 2000 2001 2002

14 million € 28 million € 41 million € 59 million €

• PVRO: 19 million €

• Capacity investment: 52 million €

• ADR-projects: 9 million €

Departmental projects

• Project Judicial Council• Project departmental tasks administration of

Justice• Legislative programme: drafting Law on the

judicial council and changing the Law on the Organisation and Management of Courts

Project Judicial Council

Board of the Council(5 members)

Secretary (and head of Bureau)

Cabinet and public affairs

Budget and financial affairs

Unit conduct of business

Unit developmentUnit internal

facilities

Project departmental tasks administration of

Justice

Strategy Departement for the Adm inistration of Justice

C a b in e t

P o licy a d v iso rse tc.

S r. p o lic y ad v iso rs (2 )

Section budget, instrum entation and controlC o -o rd in a to r

P o licy a d v iso rse x tc.

S r. p o lic y ad v iso rs (2 )

Section strategy and developm entC o -o rd in a to r

D ire c to r

pVRO

• Introduction of modern management

• Unification of processing rules (civil cases, administrative cases and divorce)

• Internet-project www.rechtspraak.nl

• Project Personnel policy

• Project Quality

• Project work procedures

• Project complaints, etc.

Ministerial responsibility (after 1 January 2002)

• Proper conditions for the functioning of the judicial system (budget and legislation)

• Supervision on the Judicial Council

• Budget (and control) responsibility for the Supreme Court

• Policy formulation regarding ADR

Current developments in society and in the justice area

• Increase influx of civil cases

• Growing investment in judges and staff

• Decrease of economic development

• ‘budget cuts’ in the public budget

Influx of civil casesCiviele zaken per 100.000 inwoners

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

1951 1954 1957 1960 1963 1966 1969 1972 1975 1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002

ingediend, alleen civiel-contentieus eindvonnissen/beschikkingen, civiel totaal

Court capacity

CAPACITEIT RECHTSPRAAK

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

1951 1954 1957 1960 1963 1966 1969 1972 1975 1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002

0

20000

40000

60000

80000

100000

120000

140000

personeel rechterlijke organisatie (linker as) rechtbankstrafzaken (rechter as)

Budget-cycle

• Judicial Council prepares annual plan and budget proposal

• Ministry of Justice is responsible for reviewing the plan and the budget proposal

• After acceptance of the budget proposal and annual plan the budget proposal of the judiciary is integrated in the budget proposal of the Ministry of Justice

• The budget proposal of the Ministry of Justice (and the other departments) are presented in September each year for approval of the Parliament

New policies (1)

• Central role of the responsibility of the citizen for ‘solving’ their own disputes

• Stimulation of ADR (arbitration, mediation and other forms of dispute resolution)

• More responsibilities for the public prosecutor to handle cases (simple criminal offences) without the intervention of the judge

New policies (2)

• Stimulation of co-operation between courts for an efficient allocation of cases

• Change of the location policy of courts• Changes in the criminal process law,

administrative process law and civil process law to increase efficiency of justice

• Reduction of non-judicial tasks • Introduction of a new model for financing the

judiciary