NCJ Number
218108
Journal
European Journal on Criminal Policy and Research Volume: 12 Issue: 2 Dated: 2006 Pages: 93-105
Date Published
2006
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This article examines the three tasks of the Netherlands’ Council for the Administration of Criminal Justice and Protection of Juveniles: advisory, supervisory, and judiciary, and the argument by the Ministry of Justice of the incompatibility of the three tasks, causing an evaluation of the Council.
Abstract
The Council for the Administration of Criminal Justice and Protection of Juveniles is an independent advisory, supervisory, and judiciary board to the Netherlands’ Minister of Justice on matters relating to the prison system, the hospital order detention system, the probation system, and the youth incarceration system. The Council is independent of the Department of Justice and members are recruited from a variety of backgrounds based on expertise, competence, and professional experience. The argument made by the Minister of Justice is that the advisory and supervisory tasks of the Council could interfere with the independent and impartial nature of its judicial task, thereby calling for creation of an inspectorate for the administration of justice. An evaluation of the Council found that the judicial task of the Council is well appreciated and the Council is seen as independent, well-informed, and authoritative. It is argued that the combination of the three tasks enables the Council to perform as well it does. It also argues the contribution of the supervisory task to the protection of the legal rights of the inmates of penitentiary institutions. However, the Ministry of Justice is still left unconvinced. References