INTRODUCTION TO DUTCH LAW Third, revised edition edited by J.MJ. Chorus, P.H.M. Gerver, E.H. Hondius and A.K. Koekkoek Prepared under the auspices of the Netherlands Comparative Law Association Kluwer Law International the Hague - London - Boston
Contents List of Contributors and Editors Abbreviations XI XIII Preface - E.H. HONDIUS 1 Introduction - D.C. FOKKEMA 3 Part I. Dutch Legal System Chapter 1. History - J.MJ. CHORUS 7 1. Modern Political History 7 2. The Courts 9 3. Historical Sources of Dutch Law 10 4. Legal Learning 12 Chapter 2. Dutch Legal Culture - Persisting or Waning? - E. BLANK.ENBURG 1. Populär Stereotypes About Dutch Legal Culture 15 2. The Concept of'legal Culture' 19 3. The Legal Profession 21 4. Courts and Litigation Patterns 27 5. Dutch Informal Rule of Law 44 6. Concluding Remarks 47 Chapter 3.Juditial Organization - A.F.M. BRENNINKMEIJER 49 1. Development of the Court System 49 2. Reform of Judicial Organization 50 3. Constitutional Questions 51 4. The Regulär Courts 51 5. The Openbaar Ministerie 54 6. Special Civil and Criminal Courts 55 7. Administrative Courts 55 Chapter 4. Legal Education and the Legal Profession - G.R. DE GROOT 57 Chapter 5. Classißcation - E.H. HONDIUS 63 Part II. Private Law Chapter 6. Family Law - M. ROOD-DE BOER 69 1. Introduction 69 2. General Provisions 70
3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Right to a Name 70 Residence 72 Registration of Births, Marriages and Death 72 Marriage 74 Spousal Rights and Obligations 77 Legal Community of Goods and Marriage Settlements 77 The Dissolution of Marriage 79 Legal Separation and Dissolution of Marriage 80 Paternity and Affiliation 81 Adoption 83 Minority 85 Authority over Minors 86 Access, Information and Consultation 89 Tutelage or Being in Ward 89 Alimony 90 Absence, Missing and Declaran'on of Death 91 Supervision of Property 92 Protection of Immaterial Interests of Adults 92 Chapter 7. Property Law - W.M. KLEIJN, J.P. JORDAANS, H.B. KRANS, H.D. PLOEGER AND F.A. STEKETEE 93 1. General Principles as Compared to Other Legal Systems 93 2. Survey of the Dutch Law of Property 97 3. Acquisition of Ownership and of Other Rights to Things and Goods 103 4. Security Rights 113 Chapter 8. Law of Obligations - A.S. HARTKAMP 123 1. Obligations in General 123 2. Unlawful Act (Tort) 133 3. Obligations Resulting from Sources Other than Contract and Tort 138 4. Contract 139 Chapter 9. Representation and Procuration - P.H.M. GERVER 151 Chapter 10. Legal Persons - P.H.M. GERVER 157 1. Legal Personality 157 2. Public Bodies and Religieus Communities 157 3. Associations 158 4. Co-operatives and Mutual Insurance Societies 162 5. The Company Limited by Shares 164 6. Private Companies with Limited Iiability 173 7. Co-determination Companies 174 8. Foundations 176 9. Dissolution of Legal Persons 178 10. Transformation and Legal Persons in the Wrong Legal Form 178 11. Groups and Mergers 179 VI
Chapter 11. Law of Succession - P.H.M. GERVER 181 1. Introduction 181 2. Intestacy 182 3. Wills 183 4. Transfer of the Estate 185 5. Miscellaneous 187 Chapter 12. Commeräal Law - FJ.W. LÖWENSTEYN AND PH.H.J.G. VAN HUIZEN 189 1. Commercial Law 189 2. Business and Enterprise 189 3. Partnerships 192 4. Commercial Representatives 196 5. Negotiable Instruments (Bill of Exchange and Cheque) 196 6. Insurance 199 7. Carriage 204 8. Industrial Property 211 9. Bankruptcy 214 10. Air Law 217 Chapter 13. Spedßc Contracts - E.H. HONDIUS 225 1. Introduction 225 2. Why Specific Contracts are Dealt with by Legislation 226 3. Säle of Goods 226 4. Supply of Services 228 5. Medical Services 228 6. Travel Contract 232 7. Rent 236 Chapter 14. Civil Procedure - P.A. STEIN 239 1. Legislation on Civil Procedure and the Adjudicatory Authority of the Dutch Courts 239 2. General Principles of Civil Procedure 243 3. Initiating Iitigation and Proceedings in Court 247 4. Evidence and Proof Proceedings 251 5. Special Proceedings 255 6. Enforcement of Judgments and Rules of Attachment 260 Chapter 15. Private International Law - TH.M. DE BOER AND R. KOTTING 265 1. Sources 265 2. Jurisdiction 269 3. ChoiceofLaw 274 4. Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Judgments 284 VII
Part III. Public Law Chapter 16. Constitutional Law - E.A. ALKEMA 291 1. The State and the Constitution 291 2. The Legal Position of the Individual 296 3. Parliamentary System 300 4. Acts of Parliament and Other Regulations 308 5. Foreign Relations 315 6. The Administration of Justice 320 7. Decentralization 323 Chapter 11. Administrative Law - AJ.C. DE MOOR-VAN VUGT AND B.W.N. DE WAARD 331 1. Constitutional Law as the Basis of Dutch Administrative Law 331 2. Sources of Administrative Law 331 3. General Features of Dutch Administrative Law 333 4. The General Administrative Law Act 338 5. Enforcement 342 6. Appeal and Judicial Review 346 7. The Character of the Proceedings 351 8. Alternatives for Juridical Instruments 354 Chapter lla. Environmental Law - P.C. GlLHUIS AND J.M. VERSCHUUREN 355 1. Introduction: the Environment in the Netherlands 355 2. Some Characteristics of and Recent Trends in Environmental Policy and Law in the Netherlands 357 3. Development of the Environmental Management Act 361 4. The Environmental Management Act: a Closer Look 367 5. Some Other Environmental Protection Legislation 373 6. Enforcement 379 7. Environmental Iiability Law 380 Chapter 18. Criminal Justice System - J.F. NlJBOER 383 1. Introduction 383 2. Some Statistical Data 384 3. Sources of Law 387 4. Agencies in the Criminal Justice System 391 5. The Sentencing System 403 6. The Legal Definition of the Criminal Offence (Legality) 406 7. Substantive Criminal Law 407 8. Criminal Procedure 417 9. Some Important Special Subjects in Criminal Procedures 427 10. The Traditional Mildness of the Dutch Criminal Justice System 431 Chapter 19. Tax Law - CH J. LANGEREIS 435 1. Introduction 435 2. Survey of Minor Dutch Taxes and Duties 437 3. Value Added Tax 440 VIII
4. Individual Income Tax 442 5. Net Wealth Tax 448 6. Corporate Income Tax 449 7. International Tax Aspects 454 Chapter 20. Economic Law - B. HESSEL AND M.D. VREUGDENHIL 457 1. Characterization and System of Economic Law 457 2. Some General Characteristics of Dutch Economic Law 464 3. Economic Legislation 469 4. Planning Instruments 481 Part IV. Labour Law Chapter 21. Labour Law and Sodal Security Law - J.P.M. ZEIJEN 49 1. Introduction 495 2. Protecü've Legislation 496 3. Employment Supply 498 4. CoÜective Labour Legislation 499 5. Individual Labour Legislation 506 6. Social Security Law 510 Part V. Legal Philosophy Chapter 22. Legal Philosophy - A. SOETEMAN 519 Bibliography - E.H. HONDIUS 525 Useful Information - E.H. HONDIUS 545 Subject Index 553 IX