The Public Prosecution Service (OM) has decided to prosecute a former judge of the Court of The Hague for forgery. The former judge is suspected of having intentionally drafted approximately forty incorrect rulings and reports at various times in 2022 and 2023.
Report and Referral
The investigation was initiated after a report by the board of the Court of The Hague in February 2024. This was followed by a criminal investigation by the National Detective Service under the direction of a public prosecutor from the Limburg district court. The handling of the report had previously been referred to this district by the Supreme Court. This is the usual procedure when a judicial officer is suspected of a criminal offense, to prevent the suspect from being tried by their own court.
Investigation
Based on the results of the investigation by the National Detective Service, the OM finds it provable that the former judge has drafted documents in violation of the truth during so-called procedural hearings. These are hearings where no substantive treatment takes place, but are only intended to make procedural decisions. The former judge is suspected of having used false documents to create the appearance that these hearings took place in the presence of three judges while the suspect had conducted these hearings alone. The criminal investigation also examined whether other individuals were involved in the intentional drafting of false documents. However, this has not been proven, so the former judge is the only one who will be prosecuted by the OM.
Summons
Although these were non-substantive hearings, the suspicion is serious. Litigants must be able to rely on documents drafted by judges corresponding with the truth. This case also affects the integrity of the judiciary. For that reason, it has been decided to bring this case before the court in a public hearing.
