The Criminal Justice System of the Netherlands

The Criminal Justice System of the Netherlands offers an introduction to our fascinating legal system from a criminal law angle.

The book consists of four parts. Part I covers general matters, such as the organization of the Dutch criminal justice system and the latest statistics on crime and punishment. Part II presents the basics of Dutch substantive criminal law and Part III discusses our criminal procedure. Lastly, Part IV focusses on the final stage of the criminal process: sanctions and their enforcement.

Throughout the book, authors highlight aspects of the criminal justice system of the Netherlands that would be of specific interest to foreigners. These peculiarities include, for example, the many powers of the Dutch public prosecutor, the Dutch position on euthanasia and our (in)famous drug policy. The book contains several references to case law, websites and more detailed texts (in English where possible) in order to support readers who desire a more thorough understanding of a specific topic.

The Criminal Justice System of the Netherlands is recommended to students taking an introductory course on Dutch criminal law or on comparative criminal law. It is, however, also an excellent starting point for foreign researchers who wish to explore the Dutch criminal law system.