NCJ Number
154614
Journal
Justitiele Verkenningen (Judicial Explorations) Volume: 21 Issue: 2 Dated: (1995) Pages: 95-109
Date Published
1995
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This article traces the management structure of the court of law in the Netherlands from the 1960's to the present day.
Abstract
In theory, the court was a nonhierarchical entity of independent professionals. In practice, it had definite hierarchical aspects; its organization could be seen as a mixture of an autocracy (with the president of the court as its ruler) and a bureaucracy, especially in its relation to the Ministry of Justice. Recent developments have led to courts that are more independent of the Ministry in the management and administration of their own affairs. Internally, control rests with the president of the court, an executive committee (dagelijks bestuur), various other committees, some functionaires not belonging to the bench, and the general assembly, in which all the judges can participate. The author predicts an expanding managerial role for the president and a shrinking role for the general assembly. Growing bureaucracy is viewed as the greatest danger for the organization.