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The Myth of Dutch Legal Culture

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Nobody's Law

Part of the book series: Palgrave Socio-Legal Studies ((PSLS))

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Abstract

This chapter lays out the empirical context of the book and reviews all major public opinion surveys from the past decade to analyze the public opinion climate in the Netherlands. There is a widely held belief—both among academics and policymakers—that strong popular support for the justice system is a prominent feature of Dutch legal culture. This image is usually based on surveys which focus exclusively on public trust. However, this chapter argues that when we consider all survey evidence (and not only those studies that focus on trust), the legitimacy of the Dutch justice system is no longer self-evident, but has become structurally contested. Contemporary Dutch legal culture is not characterized by ‘solid support’ but by ‘sullen toleration’ of the justice system.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Q. ‘Could you tell (for each of the following institutions) whether you trust them very much, much, not so much or not at all? - the court system in the Netherlands’.

  2. 2.

    Q. ‘Now, I would like to ask you a question about your level of trust in a number of institutions. Please tell me for each of these institutions whether you tend to trust it or tend not to trust it - the Dutch justice system’ (reported are the number of people who ‘tend to trust ’).

  3. 3.

    Q. ‘At this moment, how much do you trust each of the following institutions in the Netherlands? - the courts’ (on a scale from 1–10; reported are those with a score of 6 or higher).

  4. 4.

    Q. ‘Overall, would you say you tend to trust or tend not to trust the justice system in (OUR COUNTRY)?’ (reported are the number of people who ‘tend to trust ’).

  5. 5.

    Q. ‘Please indicate how much you trust the justice system in the Netherlands’.

  6. 6.

    Q5.1. ‘The civil and commercial courts are in charge of disputes, such as those concerning contracts or insolvency proceedings. From what you know, how would you rate the justice system in (OUR COUNTRY) when dealing with civil and commercial affairs on each of the following aspects? Would you say it is very good, fairly good, fairly bad or very bad? - Length of proceedings’.

  7. 7.

    Q5.7. ‘The civil and commercial courts are in charge of disputes, such as those concerning contracts or insolvency proceedings. From what you know, how would you rate the justice system in (OUR COUNTRY) when dealing with civil and commercial affairs on each of the following aspects? Would you say it is very good, fairly good, fairly bad or very bad? - Easily understood judicial decisions’.

  8. 8.

    Q5.8. ‘The civil and commercial courts are in charge of disputes, such as those concerning contracts or insolvency proceedings. From what you know, how would you rate the justice system in (OUR COUNTRY) when dealing with civil and commercial affairs on each of the following aspects? Would you say it is very good, fairly good, fairly bad or very bad? - Straightforward proceedings’.

  9. 9.

    Q. ‘On a scale from 1–5, could you please indicate whether you are on the whole for or against lay participation in criminal cases in the Netherlands?’

  10. 10.

    Q. ‘Various forms of lay participation in the administration of criminal justice are conceivable. Some of these forms are listed below in ascending order of lay involvement. Please indicate to what extent you are on the whole for or against the following forms of lay participation - (…).’

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  1. Socio-Legal Studies, Faculty of Law, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands

    Marc Hertogh

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  1. Marc Hertogh
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Hertogh, M. (2018). The Myth of Dutch Legal Culture. In: Nobody's Law. Palgrave Socio-Legal Studies. Palgrave Pivot, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60397-5_2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-60397-5_2

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