Pre-trial detention in the Netherlands: legal principles versus practical reality

Transcription

1 Pre-trial detention in the Netherlands: legal principles versus practical reality

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3 Pre-trial detention in the Netherlands: legal principles versus practical reality Research report J.H. CRIJNS, B.J.G. LEEUW & H.T. WERMINK Co-funded by the Criminal Justice Programme of the European Commission With coordination by:

4 Published, sold and distributed by Eleven International Publishing P.O. Box CG The Hague The Netherlands Tel.: Fax: Sold and distributed in USA and Canada International Specialized Book Services 920 NE 58th Avenue, Suite 300 Portland, OR , USA Tel: (toll-free) Fax: Eleven International Publishing is an imprint of Boom uitgevers Den Haag. ISBN ISBN (e-book) NUR 820 Lay-out: Anne-Marie Krens Tekstbeeld Oegstgeest Omslagontwerp: Primo!Studio Delft 2016 Crijns, Leeuw & Wermink Eleven International Publishing This publication is protected by international copyright law. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher. Printed in The Netherlands

5 About Leiden University Leiden Law School is an internationally oriented law school. Our staff and students have exchange agreements with more than 50 universities around the world, and our numerous international cooperation activities attest to this fact. The Law School is also a member of several international networks such as Sarfal, Leru and the Coimbragroup. The faculty is committed to a broad programme of education. Nearly 1,000 students choose to study Law at Leiden on an annual basis. In the Netherlands students automatically qualify for university entry after having received a pre-university diploma (VWO). The total number of students at the Law School is currently around 4,500, including about international students. The number of academic and support staff totals This publication has been produced with the financial support of the Criminal Justice Programme of the European Commission. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Leiden University and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Commission.

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7 Foreword Research of this kind can only be conducted with the assistance of stakeholders and practitioners in the field. We therefore, first of all, wish to thank the Council of the Judiciary, the Dutch Association of Criminal Lawyers (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Strafrechtadvocaten), the Public Prosecution Service and all individual judges, defence lawyers and prosecutors who provided information for this research. Secondly we wish to thank our research assistants Franck Budde, Ybo Buruma jr., Aurora de Leeuw and Celine Ozephius for all their work done in assisting the main researchers in drafting this report. Finally, we wish to thank the project coordinator Fair Trials for coordinating this ambitious and important European research project.

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9 Table of contents 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Decision making procedure The substance of decisions Use of alternatives to detention Review of pre-trial detention Case outcomes Recommendations 3 2 INTRODUCTION Background and objectives Regional standards Procedure Substance Alternatives to detention Review of pre-trial detention Implementation Pre-trial detention in the Netherlands 10 3 METHODOLOGY OF THE RESEARCH PROJECT General methodology Methodology in the Netherlands 12 4 CONTEXT Introduction The legal framework Stages of pre-trial detention Criteria for pre-trial detention Length of pre-trial detention Alternatives to pre-trial detention Legal aid The existing debate on pre-trial detention Recent reforms and future proposals Jurisprudence of the ECtHR concerning the Netherlands 20

10 X Table of contents 5 PROCEDURE OF PRE-TRIAL DETENTION DECISION MAKING Introduction Access to a lawyer and the case file Right to be present Length of pre-trial detention hearings 25 6 SUBSTANCE OF PRE-TRIAL DETENTION DECISION MAKING Introduction High amount of pre-trial detention Grounds for pre-trial detention The reasoning of pre-trial detention decisions 31 7 ALTERNATIVES TO PRE-TRIAL DETENTION Introduction The conditional suspension of pre-trial detention 35 8 REVIEW OF PRE-TRIAL DETENTION Introduction Raadkamer hearings Pro forma trials 40 9 OUTCOMES OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS IN WHICH PRE-TRIAL DETENTION IS APPLIED Outcomes Total duration of pre-trial detention CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Conclusions Recommendations 48 REFERENCES 51

11 1 Executive summary The goal of this report is to provide an overview of the use of pre-trial detention in practice in the Netherlands. In recent years there has been a lot of discussion and criticism of the (extensive) use of pre-trial detention in Dutch criminal procedures. In this report we will assess whether this criticism is justified, and if so, what steps need to be taken to alleviate the concerns that exist regarding pre-trial detention. The overarching conclusion of our research is that Dutch legislation on pre-trial detention meets the relevant standards of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR). This leads us to the conclusion that legislative changes are not strictly necessary. However, our research shows that the way in which the legal rules on pre-trial detention are applied in practice is rightly criticised by defence lawyers, academics and even judges themselves. This report starts in chapter 4 with a description of the context in which it should be read. An overview of the Dutch legal framework on pre-trial detention is given, as well as a brief description of the debate that has taken place in the Netherlands in recent years on the topic of pre-trial detention. Five chapters in which the results of the research are discussed follow this chapter on context. These chapters concern the procedural aspects of the decision making process on pre-trial detention (chapter 5), the substantive aspects (chapter 6), alternatives to pre-trial detention (chapter 7), review of pre-trial detention orders (chapter 8) and the outcomes of cases in which pre-trial detention is applied (chapter 9). The report concludes in chapter 10 with the conclusions of our research and recommendations for the various stakeholders dealing with pre-trial detention. Over the course of the research project we visited nine of the eleven District Courts in the Netherlands, resulting in observations of 109 hearings on pre-trial detention. We also reviewed 56 case files and interviewed six judges and three prosecutors. The defence lawyers survey was completed by 35 defence lawyers. 1.1 DECISION MAKING PROCEDURE Although depending on the complexity of the individual case hearings on pretrial detention in the Netherlands can be quite brief, Dutch procedure on pre-

12 2 Chapter 1 trial detention in practice generally meets the standards set by the Strasbourg Court and EU law. Suspects have legal representation, for free in case they cannot afford it themselves, and are brought before a judge within a reasonable time. Suspects who do not speak the Dutch language are provided with an interpreter and receive a letter of rights in their own language. The only point of concern is that some defence lawyers point out that the content of the case file available at the first hearing is sometimes too limited given that the investigation is still ongoing and not all the information is available yet. 1.2 THE SUBSTANCE OF DECISIONS When looking at the substantive aspects of the practice of pre-trial detention, the high frequency of pre-trial detention that is being ordered must be highlighted as a point of concern. This raises questions on whether the principle of pre-trial detention as a measure of last resort is sufficiently protected. In most cases that were analysed in the case file review and hearing monitoring, requests by the prosecutor for applying pre-trial detention are granted by the judge(s). One caveat that should be made is that there might be a selection effect, meaning that prosecutors might only request pre-trial detention in cases where they feel that such a request will be granted by the judge. Besides the high number of pre-trial detention orders, another pressing concern is that in most cases the reasoning of decisions on pre-trial detention is quite brief and in general and abstract terms, which is problematic in light of Strasbourg case law. Finally, grounds for pre-trial detention are easily accepted by the judges. Especially defence lawyers indicate that grounds like the recidivism ground and the shocked legal order ground are accepted in a lot of cases, even though the existence of those grounds in the specific case is not proven sufficiently. 1.3 USE OF ALTERNATIVES TO DETENTION Closely connected with pre-trial detention being applied in a lot of cases is the fact that alternatives to pre-trial detention currently only exist as conditions to a suspension of the pre-trial detention. This means that a judge first has to consider whether pre-trial detention should be ordered, before making a second consideration on whether the pre-trial detention should (conditionally) be suspended. This raises the question whether judges will appropriately consider a suspension given that they have already decided that pre-trial detention can be ordered. We feel that alternatives to pre-trial detention are underused, especially in the first phase of pre-trial detention. More research and discussion is necessary to fully develop alternatives in terms of new legislation and better use of existing alternatives such as bail and electronic

13 Executive summary 3 monitoring. For instance with regard to bail, judges are reluctant to set bail conditions, because they are either unfamiliar with this alternative or they fear that this will lead to inequality and class justice since poor suspects will not be able to meet the financial requirements to receive bail. 1.4 REVIEW OF PRE-TRIAL DETENTION Reviews of pre-trial detention orders take place regularly. All orders for pretrial detention are subjected to a specific time limit. Once this limit is reached a review of the pre-trial detention order will take place (assuming the prosecutor wants to keep the suspect in pre-trial detention). Alternatively, a suspect or his defence lawyer can always request a hearing to review the pre-trial detention if they believe that the conditions for pre-trial detention are no longer met or when they want to request a suspension of the pre-trial detention. If a case is not ready for trial, but the suspect has been in pre-trial detention for 104 days, a pro forma trial is held to assess the progress of the investigation and to see whether the suspect should stay in detention. These pro forma trials take place every three months until the substantive trial takes place or the suspect is (conditionally) released from detention. 1.5 CASE OUTCOMES With regard to the outcome of trials where pre-trial detention is ordered we found in the case file review that in almost all cases the criminal process ended in a conviction. In these cases the time served in pre-trial detention is deducted from the sentence in case of a conviction (Article 27 CCP). If the suspect is acquitted of all charges he can claim financial compensation for the time served in pre-trial detention (Article 89 CCP). No compensation is provided if the final sentence is lower than the time served in pre-trial detention. 1.6 RECOMMENDATIONS Our research leads us to the following recommendations to the various stakeholders dealing with pre-trial detention. i. To the legislator 1. In order to make alternatives to pre-trial detention more common, these should be made available independent of the decision whether pre-trial detention is allowed. The proposals in this regard the Government is currently considering, are a step in the right direction.

14 4 Chapter 1 ii. To the Public Prosecution Service 2. Public prosecutors should be more critical in their assessment whether pretrial detention is strictly necessary in a specific case. 3. Public prosecutors could be more active in proposing alternatives to pretrial detention (for instance suggesting specific conditions for the suspension of pre-trial detention to the court), possibly after discussing this with the defence lawyer before a scheduled pre-trial detention hearing. iii. To the courts 4. The recent discussion amongst judges on whether pre-trial detention is necessary as often as it is used, should be continued and intensified. 5. When considering alternatives to pre-trial detention, judges should take the principle that pre-trial detention must be a measure of last resort, more into account, especially when alternatives to pre-trial detention become more available, as recommended in this report. 6. Decisions to apply pre-trial detention should be better reasoned, giving more insight in the reasons for applying pre-trial detention in a specific case. This in order to conform with European and national obligations. 7. The existence of grounds for pre-trial detention must be viewed more critically. Especially with regard to the shocked legal order the question can be raised whether this ground should be used as often as it currently is. iv. To the Council of the Judiciary and/or the Ministry of Security and Justice 8. More funds should be made available to provide time for judges to substantiate their pre-trial detention decisions more extensively. 9. Research should be done into the effectiveness of alternatives to pre-trial detention, in particular electronic monitoring and (money) bail. This research should also focus on ways to make these alternatives function properly in the Dutch system.

15 2 Introduction 2.1 BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES This report is one of ten country reports outlining the findings of an EU-funded research project that was conducted in ten EU Member States in More than 100,000 suspects are detained pre-trial across the EU. While pre-trial detention has an important part to play in some criminal proceedings, ensuring that certain suspects will be brought to trial, it is being used at a huge cost to the national economies. Unjustified and excessive pre-trial detention clearly impacts on the right to liberty and to be presumed innocent until proven guilty. It also affects the ability of detained persons to enjoy fully their right to a fair trial, particularly due to restrictions on their ability to prepare their defence and gain access to a lawyer. Further, prison conditions often endanger the suspect s well-being. 2 For these reasons, international human rights standards including the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) require that pre-trial detention is used as an exceptional measure of last resort. While there have been numerous studies on the legal framework governing pre-trial detention in EU Member States, 3 limited research into the practice of pre-trial detention decision making has been carried out to date. This lack of reliable evidence motivated this major project in which NGOs and academics from ten EU Member States coordinated by Fair Trials International (Fair Trials) researched pre-trial decision making procedures. The objective of the project is to provide a unique evidence base regarding what, in practice, is causing the use of pre-trial detention. In this research, the procedures of decision making were reviewed to understand the motivations and incentives of the stakeholders involved (defence practitioners, judges, prosecutors). These findings will be disseminated among policy-makers, judges, prosecutors and defence lawyers, thereby informing the development of future initiatives aiming at reducing the use of pre-trial detention at domestic and EU-level. 1 England and Wales, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain. 2 For more detail see: E.pdf/37e1f8c6-ff b71e bad5. 3 For instance Van Kalmthout, Knapen & Morgenstern 2009.

16 6 Chapter 2 This project also complements the current EU-level developments relating to procedural rights. Under the Procedural Rights Roadmap, adopted in 2009, the EU institutions have examined the issues arising from the inadequate protection of procedural rights within the context of mutual recognition, such as the difficulties arising from the application of the European Arrest Warrant. Three procedural rights directives (legal acts which oblige the Member States to adopt domestic provisions that will achieve the aims outlined) have already been adopted: the Interpretation and Translation Directive (2010/64/EU), the Right to Information Directive (2012/13/EU), and the Access to a Lawyer Directive (2013/48/EU). Three further measures are currently under negotiation on legal aid, safeguards for children and the presumption of innocence and the right to be present at trial. The Roadmap also included the task of examining issues relating to detention, including pre-trial, through a Green Paper published in Based on its case work experience and input sought through its Legal Expert Advisory Panel (LEAP) 4 Fair Trials responded to the Green Paper in the report Detained without trial and outlined the necessity for EU-legislation as fundamental rights of individuals are violated in the process of ordering and requesting pre-trial detention. Subsequent Expert meetings in in Amsterdam, London, Paris, Poland, Greece and Lithuania affirmed the understanding that problems with decision making processes might be responsible for the overuse of pretrial detention and highlighted the need for an evidence base clarifying this presumption. But to date, no legislative action has been taken with regards to strengthening the rights of suspects facing pre-trial detention. However, the European Commission is currently conducting an Impact Assessment for an EU measure on pre-trial detention, which will hopefully be informed by the reports of this research project. 2.2 REGIONAL STANDARDS The current regional standards on pre-trial detention-decision making are outlined in Article 5 of the European Convention on Human Rights ( ECHR ). Article 5(1)(c) ECHR states that a person s arrest or detention may be effected for the purpose of bringing him before the competent legal authority on reasonable suspicion of having committed an offence or when it is reasonably considered necessary to prevent his committing an offence or fleeing after having done so. Anyone deprived of liberty under the exceptions set out in Article 5 shall be entitled to take proceedings by which the lawfulness of his detention shall be decided speedily by a court and his release ordered if the 4

17 Introduction 7 detention is not lawful (Article 5(4) ECHR). The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has developed general principles on the implementation of Article 5 that should govern pre-trial decision making and would strengthen defence rights if applied accordingly. These standards have developed over a large corpus of ever-growing case law Procedure The ECtHR has ruled that a person detained on the grounds of being suspected of an offence must be brought promptly 5 or speedily 6 before a judicial authority, and the scope for flexibility in interpreting and applying the notion of promptness is very limited. 7 The trial must take place within reasonable time according to Article 5(3) ECHR and generally the proceedings involving a pre-trial detainee must be conducted with special diligence and speed. 8 Whether this has happened must be determined by considering the individual facts of the case. 9 The ECtHR has found periods of pre-trial detention lasting between two and a half and five years to be excessive. 10 According to the ECtHR, the court taking the pre-trial detention decision, must have the authority to release the suspect 11 and be a body independent from the executive and both parties of the proceedings. 12 The detention hearing must be an oral and adversarial hearing, in which the defence must be given the opportunity to effectively participate Substance The ECtHR has repeatedly emphasised the presumption in favour of release 14 and clarified that the state bears the burden of proof on showing that a less intrusive alternative to detention would not serve the respective purpose Rehbock v Slovenia, App /95, 28 November 2000, para The limit of acceptable preliminary detention has not been defined by the ECtHR, however in Brogan and others v UK, App /84; 11234/84; 11266/84; 11386/85, 29 November 1988, the court held that periods of preliminary detention ranging from four to six days violated Article 5(3). 7 Ibid para Stogmuller v Austria, App 1602/62, 10 November 1969, para 5. 9 Buzadj v. Moldova, App 23755/07, 16 December 2014, para PB v France, App 38781/97, 1 August 2000, para Singh v UK, App 23389/94, 21 February 1996, para Neumeister v Austria, App 1936/63, 27 June 1968, para Göç v Turkey, App No 36590/97, 11 July 2002, para Michalko v. Slovakia, App 35377/05, 21 December 2010, para Ilijkov v Bulgaria, App 33977/96, 26 July 2001, para 85.

18 8 Chapter 2 The detention decision must be sufficiently reasoned and should not use stereotyped 16 forms of words. The arguments for and against pre-trial detention must not be general and abstract. 17 The court must engage with the reasons for pre-trial detention and for dismissing the application for release. 18 The ECtHR has also outlined the lawful grounds for ordering pre-trial detention to be: (1) the risk that the suspect will fail to appear for trial; 19 (2) the risk the suspect will spoil evidence or intimidate witnesses; 20 (3) the risk that the suspect will commit further offences; 21 (4) the risk that the release will cause public disorder; 22 or (5) the need to protect the safety of a person under investigation in exceptional cases. 23 Committing an offence is insufficient as a reason for ordering pre-trial detention, no matter how serious the offence and the strength of the evidence against the suspect. 24 Pre-trial detention based on the need to preserve public order from the disturbance caused by the offence 25 can only be legitimate if the public order actually remains threatened. Pre-trial detention cannot be extended just because the judge expects a custodial sentence at trial. 26 With regards to flight risk, the ECtHR has clarified that merely the lack of fixed residence 27 or the risk of facing long term imprisonment if convicted does not justify ordering pre-trial detention. 28 The risk of reoffending can only justify pre-trial detention if there is actual evidence of the definite risk of reoffending available; 29 merely a lack of job or local family ties would be insufficient Yagci and Sargin v Turkey, App 16419/90, 16426/90, 8 June 1995, para Smirnova v Russia, App 46133/99, 48183/99, 24 July 2003, para See above, note See above, note 17, para Ibid. 21 Muller v. France, App 21802/93, 17 March 1997, para I.A. v. France, App 28213/95, 23 September 1988, para Ibid para Tomasi v France, App 12850/87, 27 August 1992, para See above, note See above, note 14, para Sulaoja v Estonia, App 55939/00, 15 February 2005, para See above, note 24, para Matznetter v Austria, App 2178/64, 10 November 1969, concurring opinion of Judge Balladore Pallieri, para See above, note 27.

19 Introduction Alternatives to detention The case law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) has strongly encouraged the use of pre-trial detention as an exceptional measure. In Ambruszkiewicz v Poland, 31 the Court stated that the detention of an individual is such a serious measure that it is only justified where other, less stringent measures have been considered and found to be insufficient to safeguard the individual or the public interest which might require that the person concerned be detained. That means that it does not suffice that the deprivation of liberty is in conformity with national law, it also must be necessary in the circumstances. Furthermore, the ECtHR has emphasised the use of proportionality in decision making, in that the authorities should consider less stringent alternatives prior to resorting to detention, 32 and the authorities must also consider whether the accused s continued detention is indispensable. 33 One such alternative is to release the suspect within their state of residence subject to supervision. States may not justify detention in reference to the nonnational status of the suspect but must consider whether supervision measures would suffice to guarantee the suspect s attendance at trial Review of pre-trial detention Pre-trial detention must be subject to regular judicial review, 34 which all stakeholders (defendant, judicial body, and prosecutor) must be able to initiate. 35 A review hearing has to take the form of an adversarial oral hearing with the equality of arms of the parties ensured. 36 This might require access to the case files, 37 which has now been confirmed in Article 7(1) of the Right to Information Directive. The decision on continuing detention must be taken speedily and reasons must be given for the need for continued detention. 38 Previous decisions should not simply be reproduced Ambruszkiewicz v Poland, App 38797/03, 4 May 2006, para Ladent v Poland, App 11036/03, 18 March 2008, para Ibid., para De Wilde, Ooms and Versyp v Belgium, App 2832/66, 2835/66, 2899/66, 18 June 1971, para Rakevich v Russia, App 58973/00, 28 October 2003, para See above, note Wloch v Poland, App 27785/95, 19 October 2000, para See above, note 5, para See above, note 15.

20 10 Chapter 2 When reviewing a pre-trial detention decision, the ECtHR demands that the court be mindful that a presumption in favour of release remains 40 and continued detention can be justified in a given case only if there are specific indications of a genuine requirement of public interest which, notwithstanding the presumption of innocence, outweighs the rule of respect for individual liberty laid down in Article 5 of the Convention. 41 The authorities remain under an ongoing duty to consider whether alternative measures could be used Implementation Yet, these guidelines are not being upheld in national courts and EU countries have been found in violation of Article 5 ECHR in more than 400 cases in Notwithstanding any possible EU-action on this issue at a later stage, the ultimate responsibility for ensuring that the suspects rights to a fair trial and right to liberty are respected and promoted lies with the Member States that must ensure that at least the minimum standards developed by the ECtHR are complied with. 2.3 PRE-TRIAL DETENTION IN THE NETHERLANDS In recent years, the topic of pre-trial detention has often been discussed in the Netherlands. Figures show that the tool of pre-trial detention is used in a lot of cases in the Netherlands; in % of the prison population consisted of pre-trial detainees. 44 As we will show in later chapters pre-trial detention is ordered in a large majority of the instances that it is requested by prosecuting authorities. In recent years the discussion amongst defence lawyers, academics and even judges has increased on whether the practice of pre-trial detention is still acceptable, also in light of ECtHR standards. 45 A lot of research has already been done in the Netherlands, which will be discussed in chapter 4. However, the current research adds a new aspect to the discussion since it is based on a research methodology providing input from defence lawyers, judges and prosecutors and empirical data of actual cases. 40 See above, note 14, para McKay v UK, App 543/03, 3 October 2006, para Darvas v Hungary, App 19574/07, 11 January 2011, para See for instance Crijns & Geelhoed 2011; Janssen & Van der Meij 2012; Klip 2012; Janssen, Van den Emster & Trotman 2013; Stevens 2008 and Stevens 2012.

21 3 Methodology of the research project 3.1 GENERAL METHODOLOGY This project was designed to develop an improved understanding of the process of the judicial decision making on pre-trial detention in ten EU Member States: England and Wales, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania and Spain. This research was carried out in ten Member States with different legal systems (common and civil law), legal traditions and heritage (for example Soviet, Roman and Napoleonic influences), differing economical situations, and, importantly, strongly varying usage of pre-trial detention in criminal proceedings (for example 12.7% of all detainees in Ireland have not yet been convicted 46 whereas in the Netherlands 39.9% of all prisoners have not yet been convicted 47 ). The choice of participating countries allows for identifying good and bad practices, and for proposing reform at the national level as well as developing recommendations that would ensure enhanced minimum standards across the EU. The individual country reports focusing on the situation in each participating country will provide in-depth input to the regional report which will outline common problems across the region as well as highlighting examples of good practice, and will provide a comprehensive understanding of pan-eu pre-trial decision making. Five research elements were developed to gain insight into domestic decision making processes, with the expectation that this would allow for a) analysing shortfalls within pre-trial detention decision making, understanding the reasons for high pre-trial detention rates in some countries and establish an understanding of the merits in this process of other countries; b) assessing similarities and differences across the different jurisdictions; and c) the development of substantial recommendations that can guide policy makers in their reform efforts data provided by International Centre for Prison Studies, 18 June data provided by International Centre for Prison Studies, 18 June 2015.

22 12 Chapter 3 The five-stages of the research were as follows: 1. Desk-based research, in which the partners examined the national law and practical procedures with regards to pre-trial detention, collated publicly available statistics on the use of pre-trial detention and available alternatives, as well as information on recent or forthcoming legislative reforms. Based on this research, Fair Trials and the partners drafted research tools which with small adaptations to specific local conditions explore practice and motivations of pre-trial decisions and capture the perceptions of the stakeholders in all participating countries. 2. A defence practitioner survey, which asked lawyers for their experiences with regards to the procedures and substance of pre-trial detention decisions. 3. Monitoring pre-trial detention hearings, thereby gaining a unique insight into the procedures of such hearings, as well as the substance of submissions and arguments provided by lawyers and prosecutors and judicial decisions at initial and review hearings. 4. Case file reviews, which enabled researchers to get an understanding of the full life of a pre-trial detention case, as opposed to the snapshot obtained through the hearing monitoring. 5. Structured interviews with judges and prosecutors, capturing their intentions and motivation in cases involving pre-trial detention decisions. In addition to the common questions that formed the main part of the interviews, the researchers developed country-specific questions based on the previous findings to follow-up on specific local issues. 3.2 METHODOLOGY IN THE NETHERLANDS The defence lawyer survey was first distributed to lawyers known by the researchers and in a later stage to defence lawyers through an sent by the Dutch Association of Criminal Lawyers (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Strafrechtadvocaten). We received a total of 35 responses. For the hearing monitoring in the Netherlands we decided to collect data on the initial decision on applying pre-trial detention. This decision is rendered by an investigative judge (rechter-commissaris) after a maximum of three days upon arrest and the initial detention ordered by the police. In addition we collected data on the decision taken by a panel of three judges after a maximum of fourteen days (raadkamer gevangenhouding) after the initial decision on applying pre-trial detention has been taken by the investigative judge. The hearings monitored all took place in courts of first instance. In the Netherlands, these hearings are closed to the public. Thus, it was necessary to get permission and cooperation from the Council of the Judiciary (Raad voor de Rechtspraak)

23 Methodology of the research project 13 to attend these hearings. Permission was also required for the case file review and the interviews with judges. After submitting our research proposal through the normal channels in place for requesting access for doing external research, permission was granted. To collect the hearing monitoring data, we decided to focus on the raadkamer hearings to maximize the chances of observing a sufficient amount of cases. Typically, on an average hearing day more cases are dealt with by that body than cases that are handled by the investigative judge. Most courts have one raadkamer a week, some of the bigger courts have two. When possible we tried to visit the initial hearings by the investigative judges on the same day following the raadkamer hearings in other cases. Over the course of the research project we visited nine of the eleven District Courts, resulting in observations of 109 hearings. 48 By visiting nine of the eleven courts across the country a good variety of urban and more rural areas was achieved. 49 We reviewed 56 case files in three different district courts. 50 The courts were selected by the Council of the Judiciary, who try to even out the workload of the different courts regarding requests and research such as ours. In order to have a sample of comparable cases, we asked for case files in two types of cases in which pre-trial detention is usually requested namely theft/robbery cases and assault cases. The cases were selected randomly by the three courts themselves from their archives of closed cases (generally cases in which the arrest took place in 2013 or 2014, although some cases were older with the oldest case originating in 2005). In those same three districts the interviews with six judges (five district court judges and one investigative judge) were conducted. Finally, we conducted interviews with three prosecutors from departments of the Public Prosecution Service located in more urban areas of the Netherlands. 51 Departments of the Public Prosecution Service in some other areas were contacted as well, but did not reply to requests to be interviewed. One planned interview with a prosecutor was cancelled due to urgent judicial matters. All interviews were tape-recorded. 48 District Courts of Amsterdam, Gelderland, Midden-Nederland, Noord-Holland (two days, one day for hearings by an investigative judge and one day for hearings by a raadkamer), Noord-Nederland, Oost-Brabant, Overijssel, Rotterdam and Zeeland-West-Brabant. 49 Given the high population density in the Netherlands no areas can be labelled as strictly rural. 50 District Courts of Gelderland, Midden-Nederland and Oost-Brabant. 51 Departments of the Public Prosecution Service in The Hague, Noord-Holland and Rotterdam.

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25 4 Context 4.1 INTRODUCTION As noted earlier, there is an ongoing discussion in the Netherlands concerning pre-trial detention. The issue has also received much scholarly attention in recent years. Also, when conducting this research, we encountered a lot of interest in our research from defence lawyers, prosecutors and judges. In this chapter we will firstly give an overview of the legal framework regarding pretrial detention. Thereafter, we will discuss some of the academic articles and existing research on pre-trial detention decisions to give an impression of the legal climate in the Netherlands regarding these decisions. Finally, some recent legal reforms and proposals will be highlighted. 4.2 THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK Article 15 of the Dutch Constitution states that deprivation of liberty is only allowed when this deprivation has a legal basis. Pre-trial detention is regulated in the Code of Criminal Procedure (further: CCP) Stages of pre-trial detention The first stage of pre-trial detention is called bewaring and can last for a maximum of fourteen days (before the bewaring a suspect can be held by police for up to three days and fifteen hours). The bewaring can be ordered by an investigative judge upon a motion by the public prosecutor (Article 63 CCP). The hearing in which the decision is made about the bewaring must take place within three days and fifteen hours after the arrest. At this hearing the investigative judge also checks the legality of the arrest (Article 59a CCP). Before this hearing the defence is presented with the motion from the prosecutor containing the request for pre-trial detention and its reasons. The defence also receives the available evidence in the case file at that time. The second stage of pre-trial detention is the gevangenhouding and has to be ordered by a panel of three judges (Article 65 CCP), again upon a motion by the public prosecutor. The first hearing in this stage of the pre-trial detention takes place within fourteen

26 16 Chapter 4 days after the initial pre-trial detention order was granted by the investigative judge (unless the initial order was for a shorter period) Criteria for pre-trial detention The criteria for applying pre-trial detention both bewaring and gevangenhouding can be found in Articles 67 and 67a of the CCP. Article 67 CCP states the circumstances (gevallen) in which pre-trial detention can be ordered. Article 67a CCP gives the legitimate grounds (gronden) for pre-trial detention. Pre-trial detention can only be ordered if there is at least one geval and one grond. When a judge concludes that the conditions for pre-trial detention are met, it is not mandatory to order pre-trial detention. The circumstances of Article 67 CCP mainly concern the types of offences for which pre-trial detention is allowed (gevallen). The main rule in paragraph 1 of Article 67 CCP is that only suspects of offences which carry a minimum penalty of four years imprisonment can be held in pre-trial detention. A number of offences that fall below this four-year threshold, such as minor assault, verbal threatening of a person and destruction of property, are explicitly mentioned in paragraph 1 of Article 67 CCP and for these offences pre-trial detention is also allowed. Paragraph 2 of Article 67 CCP makes it possible to hold someone in pre-trial detention if the suspect does not have a fixed residence in the Netherlands, regardless of the offence. This does not mean, however, that pre-trial detention can be ordered solely for this reason, since the existence of a ground for pre-trial detention is also required. Paragraph 3 gives an additional criterion for all circumstances of Article 67 CCP, namely the existence of a serious suspicion (ernstige bezwaren) that the suspect committed the offence of which he is suspected. This criterion of a serious suspicion is to be considered a stricter criterion then a reasonable suspicion (verdenking), which is the applicable criterion for less intrusive forms of deprivation of liberty preceding pre-trial detention ordered by a judge, such as arrest and the first three days of detention following upon arrest ordered by a police officer (inverzekeringstelling). This means that in order to successfully request pre-trial detention the prosecutor has to strengthen the reasonable suspicion to a serious suspicion during the first three days of detention. The grounds for pre-trial detention are listed in paragraph 1 of Article 67a CCP. They include the existence of a flight risk of the suspect or a strong reason of public interest. Paragraph 2 of Article 67a CCP describes the five grounds that fall in the latter category: a. Suspicion of an offence that carries a maximum sentence of at least twelve years imprisonment and that has shocked the legal order.

27 Context 17 b. Strong suspicion that the suspect will commit another offence that (a) carries a minimum sentence of six years, (b) or an offence that threatens the health or safety of persons if released. c. A suspicion that a suspect has committed one of the listed offences in this paragraph (mainly assault, theft etc.) while having a prior conviction for a similar offence in the previous five years. d. Risk that the suspect will harm the investigation if released. e. Suspicion of an act of violence in a public space or against public servants (for instance the police, ambulance staff etc.) while this offence will be tried within a period of seventeen days and fifteen hours after arrest (i.e. before the first phase of the pre-trial detention, the bewaring, will expire). Pre-trial detention can be ordered, when a judge believes that at least one of these grounds exists (provided there is also an offence that qualifies for pretrial detention as well as a serious suspicion). This means that judges might use more than one ground for pre-trial detention. The judge is also allowed to add new grounds for pre-trial detention when the pre-trial detention is extended at each subsequent decision regarding pre-trial detention. A final factor for the judge to take into account is Article 67a paragraph 3 CCP which states that the judge cannot order (a period of) pre-trial detention if it is to be expected that the final sentence would be of a shorter length than the amount of days spent in pre-trial detention. This means the judge deciding on (the extension of) pre-trial detention always has to anticipate the expected sentence in the specific case (anticipatiegebod) Length of pre-trial detention At first glance the maximum length of pre-trial detention appears to be 104 days (fourteen days of bewaring and ninety days of gevangenhouding). However, this does not mean that a suspect must be released after that period. This maximum period only guarantees that at that point the trial phase will commence. However, in more complicated investigations this is usually too early to start the substantive trial and the first trial date is used to extend the pretrial detention and determine what investigative measures need to be taken (the so called pro forma trial) after which the trial is suspended until the next pro forma trial or eventually the substantive trial. 52 In practice this means that suspects can be in detention for an extended period (there is no legal limit) since the aforementioned trial does not have to be the substantive trial. This means that in Dutch criminal law there is only a formal maximum length of 52 Dubelaar e.a

28 18 Chapter 4 pre-trial detention (104 days), as a result of the pro forma trial the real time served in pre-trial detention may be much longer. This does not mean, however, that depending on the particulars of the specific case the pre-trial detention can last endlessly, since the trial judge during the pro forma trial deciding on the need of continuation of the pre-trial detention always has to consider whether or not the legal criteria for pre-trial detention are still met. Especially the aforementioned obligation to anticipate the expected sentence in the specific case (anticipatiegebod), and to a lesser extent the obligation to see whether or not there are still one or more grounds for continuing the pre-trial detention are intended as safeguards against excessive periods of pretrial detention Alternatives to pre-trial detention Alternatives to pre-trial detention are available under the same conditions as pre-trial detention. This means that the judge will firstly assess whether the circumstances and grounds to order pre-trial detention are given. Once it is decided that this is the case, the judge can suspend pre-trial detention under specific conditions. The applicable criterion for suspending the pre-trial detention is the question whether the interests of the suspect in suspension of the pre-trial detention outweigh the interests of the criminal procedure in continuation of the pre-trial detention. This means that before ordering the suspension of the pre-trial detention the judge has to balance the relevant interests in the case carefully. Alternatives include parole supervision, electronic monitoring and an order to stay away from certain locations or persons. Additionally the general conditions that the suspect will comply to possible future court orders regarding the pre-trial detention and will cooperate with the execution of a possible future sentence to imprisonment (Article 80 paragraph 2 CCP) are also imposed Legal aid After their arrest suspects are informed that they can consult with a lawyer before the first interrogation. A suspect can choose his own lawyer or he can be assigned a lawyer from a duty list (piketlijst). Assistance from a lawyer is free of charge in cases where the suspect is put in pre-trial detention Articles 38, 40, 41, 42 and 43 CCP and Article 43 Act on legal aid (Wet op de Rechtsbijstand).

29 Context THE EXISTING DEBATE ON PRE-TRIAL DETENTION There has been an ongoing debate in the Netherlands on the topic of pre-trial detention in recent years. Several articles and studies have looked at the use of pre-trial detention in the Netherlands and whether this usage is in conformity with ECtHR standards. 54 However, an article by three judges from the District Court in Rotterdam in 2013 gave a really strong impetus to the discussion that is currently taking place on pre-trial detention in the Netherlands. 55 In this article the judges called for an (internal) discussion on the use of pre-trial detention that should lead to a new approach to the use of this tool. The judges describe the practice of pre-trial detention as an efficient cookie factory. They state that in virtually all cases brought before a judge an order for pre-trial detention will be given (which is also one of the findings of this research, see chapter 6) and believe it is overused. 56 They point out that this leads to a situation where the percentage of pre-trial detainees in the prison population in the Netherlands is the highest in Europe, and the high usage of pre-trial detention leads to a high amount of financial compensation yearly for suspects who are later acquitted. 57 In their article the judges argue that changes in the practice of pre-trial detention should come from a discussion amongst judges themselves regarding the way in which they apply the legal standards for pre-trial detention. They see little necessity for legislative changes, but look for a positive effect in a stricter approach to the existing legal standards and a better and more extensive reasoning of pre-trial detention decisions RECENT REFORMS AND FUTURE PROPOSALS Changes to the Code of Criminal Procedure in the field of pre-trial detention are discussed often. The most recent legislative change was the addition of a new ground for pre-trial detention in Article 67a CCP. Namely, the ground to hold a suspect in pre-trial detention if an offence is committed in a public space or against a public official. These types of offences are dealt with via so-called superfast procedures meaning that they will be tried within seventeen days after the offence was committed. The reason for this change, as given by the Government, is that it is more effective to punish perpetrators immedi- 54 Crijns & Geelhoed 2011, Janssen & Van der Meij 2012, Klip 2012, Stevens Janssen, Van den Emster & Trotman See also Stevens Janssen, Van den Emster & Trotman 2013, p Janssen, Van den Emster & Trotman 2013, p. 438 &

30 20 Chapter 4 ately rather than having a suspect wait a couple of weeks or months before trial. 59 Besides this relatively minor recent change the Government in 2014 announced an extensive revision of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Project Modernisering Wetboek van Strafvordering). The goal of this revision is to keep the Code up to date with changing circumstances in society. The Government also specifically pays attention to (the practice of) pre-trial detention. As part of this modernization process the Government released several discussion papers dealing with a number of topics under consideration for legislative changes, one of these topics is pre-trial detention. In its discussion paper the Government looks at several changes to the pre-trial detention system. First of all, there are some technical changes regarding the offences for which pre-trial detention can be ordered and the level of suspicion that is necessary. It is not likely, however, that this will have a strong impact on reducing the amount of orders for pre-trial detention. 60 Further, the government is planning to add the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity as general principles for the adjudication of criminal justice to the Code of Criminal Procedure. It is not to be expected that this will result to a reduction of pre-trail detention either, since these principles codified or not already apply to the decision of pre-trial detention. More promising and fundamental are the changes that the Government is proposing regarding the use of alternatives to pre-trial detention. The Government is firstly planning to come with proposals to further legally regulate the conditions under which pre-trial detention can be suspended. This in order to stimulate the judge to suspend the pre-trial detention in a larger amount of cases. The exact form of this regulation is not clear yet. Secondly, the Government is looking at the possibility to impose measures to restrict the freedom of persons and influence behaviour separate from the pre-trial detention. 4.5 JURISPRUDENCE OF THE ECTHR CONCERNING THE NETHERLANDS Although some points of concern regarding the Dutch procedure on pre-trial detention will be highlighted in this report there has been very little case law from the Strasbourg Court concerning the Netherlands regarding pre-trial detention. However, this does not mean that the ECHR has had no influence on the application of pre-trial detention in the Netherlands. The shocked legal order ground has been challenged before the Strasbourg Court. However, in a couple of decisions in 2007 the Court did not find that 59 Kamerstukken II 2011/12, , nr. 3, p Mols 2015, p. 87.