Public prosecutor wants to settle more cases out of court
Dutch NewsThe public prosecution department is planning to expand its use of out-of-court settlements in an effort to reduce the number of cases coming before the courts. The new policy will focus on what the department calls “common crimes” by adults, with a maximum jail term of six years, such as theft and vandalism. Some 80% of court cases end up with a sentence of a couple of months, said Rinus Otte, chairman of the prosecutors council in a long statement on the department website. By dealing with less serious crimes, “there will be time for more hearings covering serious cases,” he said. In 2021, the national ombudsman and other critics claimed the public prosecution department was short-changing victims by settling so many cases out of court during the coronavirus pandemic.
History of this topic
Victims, attorneys want courts to handle more cases; thousands delayed by Covid-19
NL Times
Coronavirus sends justice system into 'meltdown' as criminal court case backlog passes 37,000
The Independent
Nearly 23,000 court cases delayed over capacity problems
NL Times
Too many cases are settled out of court, Dutch law society warns
Dutch News
Too many cases are settled out of court, Dutch law society warns
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