Conference

Symposium ‘Vertrouwen in de rechtspraak’ and presentation Thorbecke medal

Date

Wednesday 4 June 2025

Time

12:15 - 16:45 hour

Address

Kamerlingh Onnes Building
Steenschuur 25
2311 ES Leiden

Room

Lorentzzaal (A1.44)

On 4 June 2025, a special event will be hosted at our faculty’s KOG building. Leiden Law School and the District Court of The Hague kindly invite you to the symposium Vertrouwen in de rechtspraak’ (trust in the judiciary). This event has been organised to mark the close collaboration between our faculty and the District Court of The Hague as well as the 450th anniversary of the faculty.  In view of our anniversary year, the symposium will be made even more special by the presentation of the Thorbecke medal. Please be aware that the language for this event is Dutch.

Public trust in the judiciary

The symposium programme will be a rich mix of lectures and workshops, focusing on the fact that it is necessary that the judiciary maintains public trust so that it can function properly. Compared to the political arena, the judiciary in the Netherlands still enjoys a relatively high level of public trust. Yet, several current developments are challenging this trust.

Lectures and workshops

To gain a better understanding of these developments, it is essential that we understand how public trust works. Information on this is provided, among others, by lectures given by court reporter Saskia Belleman and Dineke de Groot, President of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands. Workshops will be offered in parallel sessions and will highlight and delve into the concept of trust from various perspectives.

Thorbecke medal

To conclude the symposium, the Thorbecke Medal will be presented to a researcher in the field of constitutional law.

• Chair: Professor M. M. (Miranda) Boone, Professor of Criminology and Comparative Penology
• Location: KOG, Lorentz Lecture Hall (A1.44)
• Time: Walk-in lunch from 12.15, programme from 13.00-16.45 including the presentation of the Thorbecke medal and drinks afterwards
• Please register beforehand via [e-mail] 

Provisional programme (the language for this event is Dutch)

Time	Activity	Speaker	Location
12.15-13.00	Walk-in lunch		Lorentz Lecture Hall (A1.44)
13.00-13.05	Opening	Professor M.M. (Miranda) Boone	A1.44
13.05-13.15	Welcome	Dean Suzan Stoter	A1.44

13.15-15.00	Plenary introduction with among others: A.H. (Tony) Cohlst MBA, Programme Manager for Implementation, Tax and Customs Administration Professor G. (Dineke) de Groot, President of the Supreme Court  Professor W.J.M. (Wim) Voermans, Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law, Leiden University
15.00-15.15	Break
15.15-16.05	Parallel sessions: workshops De invloed van social media op vertrouwen (the impact of social medial on trust) by the National Service Centre for the Judiciary (LDCR) Vertrouwen en procedurele rechtvaardigheid (trust and procedural justice) by Dr L.F.M. (Lisa) Ansems, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology, Leiden University Wantrouwen van burgers in een gemarginaliseerde positie waaronder autonomen/soevereinen (Distrust of citizens in a marginalised position including autonomists/sovereigns) by A.R. (Anne) Jonker, PhD researchers at the Van Vollenhoven Institute, Leiden University De strafbeschikking en de positie van de rechtspraak en openbaar ministerie (Punitive orders and the position of the judiciary and prosecution) by Professor J.H. (Jan) Crijns, Professor of Criminal and Criminal Procedural Law, Leiden University

16.05-16.15	Relocate to the Lorentz Lecture Hall		A1.44
16.15-16.55	Presentation of the Thorbecke Medal	Acceptance speech	A1.44
16.55-17.00	Closing words	Robine de Lange-Tegelaar, President of the District Court of The Hague	A1.44
17.00-18.00	Drinks		KOG Restaurant