Netherlands Rechtspraak

Judge Makes 4,000 Woo Requests to Municipalities

A judge from the North Holland District Court made over 4,000 Woo (Public Access to Government Information Act) requests to municipalities nationwide to investigate how they handle confidentiality obligations under the Woo law. The court was not informed in advance, and the matter emerged after a tip from the legal profession in mid-September 2025. The judge has been suspended from hearing cases pending review by the Procureur-Generaal bij de Hoge Raad, which is examining whether the conduct creates an appearance of bias given that the same municipalities could appear as parties in cases before the court.

Henk Naves: Judicial Council Must Practice Self-Criticism

Henk Naves, chair of the Raad voor de Rechtspraak (Dutch Judicial Council), has published commentary in the 2025 annual report calling on the judiciary to practice self-criticism and engage in critical self-reflection. Naves emphasizes that the judicial system functions because society grants judges independence and lifetime appointments, which requires corresponding accountability. The Council processed approximately 1.5 million decisions in 2025 and highlighted systemic bottlenecks including nitrogen-dossier impacts on affected parties and persistent shortages in youth care chains.

Netherlands Judiciary Annual Report 2025: 1.5M Decisions

The Dutch Rechtspraak published its 2025 annual report, recording nearly 1.5 million judicial decisions made in 2025, with a roughly equal number of new cases filed at courts. The judiciary employs more than 13,500 people, comprising 10,821 Rechtspraak staff and 2,715 judges and senior judges, of whom 258 were in training. Online published rulings on rechtspraak.nl increased from 63,700 in 2024 to 71,300 in 2025. This annual statistical report provides insight into the judiciary's performance, staffing levels, and composition for compliance monitoring and public accountability purposes.