Netherlands
Official (constitutional) name of the country: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Organisation of the judicial system
https://www.rechtspraak.nl/English
Judicial cooperation
General description of the national system for international judicial cooperation in criminal matters
In the Netherlands, the administrative handling of all incoming and outgoing requests for mutual legal assistance, both for judicial and police assistance, has been organized in 10 regional Centers for International Legal Assistance (IRCs), one National Centre for International Legal Assistance (LIRC), and a Centre for International Legal Assistance at the Functional Public Prosecutor's Office (IRC FP) and the IRC LE (Landelijke Eenheid) also forms part of this national network. An IRC is a joint venture between the public prosecution service and the police.
Text in original language, English and/or other available languages of the relevant national laws/provisions of the Criminal procedure codes on judicial cooperation in criminal matters
In The Netherlands the applicable legal provisions regarding judicial cooperation in criminal matters are currently subject to revision. An English version of the actual legislation is not available.
Link to the EJN website’ section on the status of implementation in the Netherlands of the EU legal instruments on judicial cooperation in criminal matters
Link to the national Fiches belges
Links to the relevant sections of the Council of Europe and United Nations Treaties Offices websites containing information on the conventions to which the Netherlands is party
Council of Europe Treaty Office
United Nations Treaty Collection
National case law relevant for judicial cooperation in criminal matters
https://www.rechtspraak.nl/paginas/default.aspx
Information on the organisation of the EJN
The EJN Contact Points of the Netherlands
As described above the Netherlands has 10 International Legal Assistance Centres (IRC’s) one National IRC (LIRC) and the Department for International Affairs and Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters. For each IRC including the LIRC at least one public prosecutor has been assigned to fulfil the role as an EJN Contact Point. By choosing for this structure all the regions in the Netherlands are covered by an EJN Contact Point. These Regional Contact Points can be contacted for questions about operational affairs and penal matters to be executed within their IRC region or, if applicable, for questions about Framework Decisions in case this IRC is also the Central Authority for the execution of a specific instrument. Moreover, an EJN Contact Point for the judges can be contacted to advise about questions in penal matters of judges within the EU member states, who are also connected to this network. The Ministry of Security and Justice is also a Contact Point to be contacted for information on foreign law, policy matters or questionnaires that do not affect operational matters. All the EJN Contact Points in the Netherlands are in close contact with each other. In case a question by any EJN Contact Point of another EU member state is not addressed to the right Contact Point for the Netherlands, the question will be forwarded to the right Contact Point and the requesting authority will be notified about the transfer.
Useful national links
- Ministry of Justice
- Supreme Court
- General Prosecutor’s Office
- Council for the Judiciary
- National legislation databases
Recent national developments on judicial cooperation in criminal matters
Status of implementation section of the EJN website concerning Netherlands