- Ministry of Security and Justice (Netherlands)
-
Netherlands 
This article is part of the series:
Politics and government of
the NetherlandsConstitutionCabinetDecentralized gov'tForeign policyRelated subjects
The Building in the Hague
The Ministry of Security and Justice (Ministerie van Veiligheid en Justitie) is the Dutch ministry of justice. Until 14 October 2010, the ministry was just called Ministry of Justice (Ministerie van Justitie), but at the start of the Rutte cabinet, the name changed because it had taken over some public safety duties from the Ministry of the Interior. The current minister is Ivo Opstelten, he is aided by state secretary Fred Teeven.
Contents
Responsibilities
The Ministry has the legal tasks of:
- providinge workable legislation for the public, the government and the courts;
- preventing crime, in order to build a safer society;
- protecting youth and children;
- enforcing the law, in order to build a safer society;
- providing independent, accessible and effective administration of justice and legal aid;
- providing support to the victims of crime;
- providing fair, consistent and effective enforcement of punishment and other sanctions;
- regulating immigration into the Netherlands.
It is also responsible for the coordination of counter-terrorism policy.
Because it shares so many responsibilities, and the same building, with the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, they are sometimes called the twin ministries.
Organisation
The ministry is currently headed by one minister and one state secretary. It employs almost 30,000 civil servants, located at the ministry in the Hague and all around the Netherlands. The ministry's main office is located in the centre of the Hague in the same building as the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations. The civil service is headed by a secretary-general and a deputy secretary-general, who head a system of three directorates-general:
- The Directorate-General for Legislation, International Affairs and Immigration
- The Directorate-General for Prevention, Youth and Sanctions
- The Directorate-General for the Administration of Justice and Law Enforcement
The Board of Procurators General (in Dutch: Raad van Procureurs-Generaal) which heads the Public Prosecution Service (in Dutch: Openbaar Ministerie, OM) is a relatively independent organisation which forms part of the Judiciary and prosecutes persons susoectred of breaking the law.
The Netherlands Forensic Institute is an autonomous division of the Ministry of Justice, falling under the Directorate-General for the Administration of Justice and Law Enforcement.
The Custodial Institutions Agency is an agency of the ministry.
Ministers
Ministers of Justice and their state secreetaries from 1989:
- 2010-now Ivo Opstelten (VVD, Minister of Ministry of Security and Justice)
- 2010-now Fred Teeven (VVD, state secretary of Security and Justice)
- 2006-2010 Ernst Hirsch Ballin (CDA, Minister of Justice)
- 2006-2010 Nebahat Albayrak (PvdA, state secretary for Migration)
- 2006 Rita Verdonk (VVD, Acting Minister September 21, 2006 - September 22, 2006)
- 2002-2006 Piet Hein Donner (CDA, Minister of Justice)
- 2003-2006 Rita Verdonk (VVD, Minister without Portfolio for Migration and Integration)
- 2002-2003 Hilbrand Nawijn (LPF, Minister without Portfolio for Migration and Integration)
- 1998-2002 Benk Korthals (VVD, Minister of Justice)
- 2000-2002 Ella Kalsbeek (PvdA, State Secretary for Migration)
- 1998-2000 Job Cohen (PvdA, State Secretary for Migration)
- 1994-1998 Winnie Sorgdrager (D66, Minister of Justice)
- 1994-1998 Elisabeth Schmitz (PvdA, State Secretary for Migration)
- 1994 Aad Kosto (PvdA, Minister of Justice)
- 1989-1994 Ernst Hirsch Ballin (CDA, Minister of Justice)
- 1989-1994 Aad Kosto (PvdA, State Secretary of Migration)
External links
Structure and process StructureGovernmentMinisters, including Ministers without Portfolio, chaired by the Prime Minister of the Netherlands and one or more Deputy Prime Minister of the NetherlandsMinisters, including Ministers without Portfolio and State SecretariesProcessCurrent ministries Cabinets Schimmelpenninck • De Kempenaer-Donker Curtius • Thorbecke I • Van Hall-Donker Curtius • Van der Brugghen • Rochussen • Van Hall-Van Heemstra • Van Zuylen van Nijevelt-Van Heemstra •Thorbecke II • Fransen van de Putte •Van Zuylen van Nijevelt • Van Bosse-Fock • Thorbecke III • De Vries-Fransen van de Putte • Heemskerk-Van Lynden van Sandenburg • Kappeyne van de Coppello • Van Lynden van Sandenburg • Heemskerk Azn. • Mackay • Van Tienhoven • Röell • Pierson • Kuyper • De Meester • Heemskerk • Cort van der Linden • Ruijs de Beerenbrouck I • Ruijs de Beerenbrouck II • Colijn I • De Geer I • Ruijs de Beerenbrouck III • Colijn II • Colijn III • Colijn IV • Colijn V • De Geer II • Gerbrandy I • Gerbrandy II • Gerbrandy III • Schermerhorn-Drees • Beel I • Drees-Van Schaik • Drees I • Drees II • Drees III • Beel II • De Quay • Marijnen • Cals • Zijlstra • De Jong • Biesheuvel I • Biesheuvel II • Den Uyl • Van Agt I • Van Agt II • Van Agt III • Lubbers I • Lubbers II • Lubbers III • Kok I • Kok II • Balkenende I • Balkenende II • Balkenende III • Balkenende IV • RutteCategories:- Dutch ministries
- Justice ministries
- Public safety ministries
- Ministries established in 2010
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
