- Schepen
A "schepen" (Dutch pl. "schepenen", French "échevin", pl. "échevins", German "Schöffe", pl. "Schöffen") is a local government official in Dutch- or German-speaking countries.
Belgium
In
Flanders a "schepen" is the Dutch term used for a municipal councillor that has an executive function. "Schepen" is not a word in English and there is no direct English equivalent. The closest English equivalent is "alderman" [Van Dale "Groot Woordenboek Nederlands-Engels"] .Each Flemish
municipality has an elected council. During the first meeting of a newly electedmunicipal council , the councillors vote in asecret ballot to determine who will be a "schepen". Anabsolute majority (more than half the votes) is required for a "schepen" to be voted in.Once voted in by the
municipal council , the "schepenen" serve along with themayor as part of the municipal executive, which is charged with responsibility for the day-to-day management of municipal affairs. In Dutch, this municipal executive is referred to as the "college van burgemeester en schepenen ".The "schepenen" are often assigned
portfolios such asculture ,education orspatial planning . They have certain executive responsibilities relating to theirportfolios and thus assist themayor in governing themunicipality .The total number of "schepenen" in a
municipality depends on the population. A large city likeAntwerp has ten "schepenen", whileHerstappe , the smallest community in Belgium, has two.Since a "schepen" is a member of the
municipal council , to remain a "schepen" he or she is required to be an elected councillor. Since 2006, Belgiancitizenship has not been a requirement.The Netherlands
In the
Netherlands , the term "schepen" is no longer used. It has been replaced by "wethouder ".Historically, the "schepenen" had several administrative and judicial functions in the administration of a Dutch "
heerlijkheid ". Collectively the "schepenen" were often referred to as the "schepenbank ". One of the functions of the "schepenbank " was to pass judgment on criminals, so when acting in this capacity they functioned like ajury orjudicial bench . Because of this judicial function, the word "schepen" is often translated into English as "magistrate " in this Dutch historical context. [For example, see Simon Schama, "The Embarrassment of Riches" and J.L. Price, "Dutch Society 1588-1713"]The phrase "
schout en schepenen" appears in many legal documents from before the Napoleonic period, including the civil registration of marriages. Depending on the context and in what capacity they were acting, this phrase could mean something like "mayor and aldermen" (i.e. the town council) or it could mean "the sheriff and magistrates".The office of "schepen" was abolished by the Napoleonic reforms at the end of the
Ancien Régime .Origin
The word "schepen" probably derived from the
Latin word "scabinus ". Originally a "schepen" was a member of a council of "judgment-finders" ("oordeelvinders") that sat at a mandatory public assembly called a "thing " ("ding"). Their judgments originally required ratification by a majority of the people present. Later, after the obligation to attend thething ("dingplicht") fell away, ratification was no longer required.Notes
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