Netherlands
Prosecution in the Netherlands
The Openbaar Ministerie — part of the judiciary, governed by the Board of Prosecutors General, and under the political responsibility of the Minister of Justice. Why that makes it a different office from an independent prosecutor.
Facts on this page were checked against their sources on .
Prosecution in the Netherlands is conducted by the Openbaar Ministerie (OM), the Public Prosecution Service. Its tasks are supervising the police in the investigation of criminal offences, prosecuting offences, and bringing suspects before the courts. Nationally it is governed by the Board of Prosecutors General (College van procureurs-generaal) in The Hague.
In criminal investigations the prosecutor is in charge: the public prosecutor directs the investigation carried out by the police. The decision whether and what to prosecute rests with the OM, not with the investigating officers.
The same idea, explained generally
- What does a prosecutor do?
A prosecutor decides whether a criminal case should be brought, on what charges, and presents it in court. This guide explains the tests applied, the duties owed, and how the role differs between systems.
- Why do justice systems need oversight?
Justice institutions hold coercive powers, often operate out of public view, and make decisions that are hard to reverse. This guide explains the oversight mechanisms built to detect and correct errors, and their limits.
Sources
Sources
Public Prosecution Service — tasks and organisation
Openbaar Ministerie (Netherlands Public Prosecution Service) · Government publication · link verified 2026-07-26
The Public Prosecution Service's own English site, read directly. Supports: the OM's tasks — "supervising the police in the investigation of criminal offences, prosecuting criminal offences and bringing suspected offenders before the courts"; that "the Public Prosecution Service and the courts together make up the judiciary"; and that the OM is governed nationally by the Board of Prosecutors General (College van procureurs-generaal). It establishes that the OM sits within the judiciary rather than being independent of the executive; the Minister's political responsibility is established by the e-Justice source.
Types of legal professions — Netherlands (European e-Justice Portal)
European Commission (European e-Justice Portal) · International organisation · link verified 2026-07-26
The European Commission's e-Justice portal page on the Netherlands, read directly. Supports: "The public prosecutor is in charge of investigations"; that at national level the OM is governed by the Board of Prosecutors General in The Hague; and that "political responsibility for the OM lies with the Minister for Justice", who together with the Board decides priorities for investigation and prosecution. An intergovernmental (EU) source describing the Netherlands; it establishes the prosecutor-led investigation and the OM's subordination to ministerial political responsibility.