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2016 | OriginalPaper | Chapter

14. Judicial Review on the Island of Saint Martin: An Example for The Kingdom of the Netherlands?

Authors : Roel Schutgens, Joost Sillen

Published in: Netherlands Yearbook of International Law 2015

Publisher: T.M.C. Asser Press

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Abstract

In its first judgment, the Constitutional Court of Saint Martin reviewed the constitutionality of the island’s new penal code in the light of both the government’s positive obligation to ensure the welfare of animals and the Strasbourg Court’s Vinter decision which calls into question the legitimacy of life imprisonment. In doing so, the Court could show the way to courts in The Netherlands and abroad, both for its acceptance of judicial review of statute law against fundamental social rights and its openness towards the European Court of Human Rights’ jurisprudence. In addition, the Court managed to strike a convincing balance between an all-too-conservative form of judicial restraint on the one hand, and excessive interference in political matters on the other.

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previous chapter Immunities of International Organizations Before Domestic Courts: Reflections on the Collective Labour Case Against the European Patent Organization

next chapter Between Pretence and Practice: The Dutch Response to Recommendations of International Human Rights Bodies

This contribution is partly based on a previous publication by us. See Schutgens and Sillen 2014.

Ombudsman v. Regering van Sint Maarten, Constitutional Court of Saint Martin, Judgment, 2013/1, 8 November 2013.

In particular, Article 16 State Constitution (equality principle) is nearly identical to Article 1 Dutch Constitution. Cf. Ombudsman v. Regering van Sint Maarten, paras 3.4, 3.6, and 3.7 in the Court’s judgement. The wording of Article 6 State Constitution (physical integrity) is virtually the same as Article 11 Dutch Constitution. See also Ombudsman v. Regering van Sint Maarten, para 3.7.

Cf. Article 31(1) State Constitution, which codifies the unwritten parts of the Dutch system of limitation of fundamental rights (necessity, proportionality, and specificity of the restriction).

Cf. Article 22 State Constitution (animal welfare) with, for example, Article 21 Dutch Constitution.

1950 Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, 213 UNTS 222 (ECHR).

Article 94 Dutch Constitution. By virtue of the Charter of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, this ‘Dutch’ provision also applies in Saint Martin.

Article 120 Dutch Constitution.

Cf. Article VI.4 and Article I.22 State Constitution of Aruba; and Article 96 State Constitution of Curaçao.

Article 127(2) State Constitution. Moreover, following the entry into force of a country ordinance, every (ordinary) court can review it against the substantive provisions of the State Constitution and, if necessary, declare its inapplicability (Article 119 State Constitution). Hoogers 2011, at 310–314.

Article 127(4) State Constitution.

Article 127(5) State Constitution.

Article 3:54 Criminal Code. See Ombudsman v. Regering van Sint Maarten, para 3.3.8.

Ombudsman v. Regering van Sint Maarten, para 3.3.7.

Ibid., para 3.3.3.

See, for example, Kortmann 2008, at 463. For a contrary position, see, e.g. Bovend’Eert et al. 2012, at 385–387. Incidentally, the parliamentary history of the Dutch Constitution of 1983 does lend some support to the view that fundamental social rights can be applied by the courts—albeit with some reservations. At the same time, published case law shows that Dutch courts are hardly, if at all, prepared to do this.

Ombudsman v. Regering van Sint Maarten, para 3.3.5.

Ibid., para 3.3.6.

See Fleuren 2008, at 620–621.

Explanatory Memorandum, State Constitution, AB 2010, GT No. 1 (Translation of the Official Publication of Sint Maarten), at 55–56, http://decentrale.regelgeving.overheid.nl/cvdr/Images/Sint%20Maarten/i240625.pdf. Accessed 20 October 2015.

See, for example, Fleuren 2008.

See Boogaard 2013, at 251–252.

Supreme Court, ECLI:NL:HR:2014:2928, 10 October 2014.

This has been established beyond doubt since the constitutional reform of 1953.

EU law has its own system on the basis of Case 26/62, Van Gend en Loos v. Netherlands Inland Revenue Administration [1963] ECR 1.

This new criterion is clearly derived from the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Ombudsman v. Regering van Sint Maarten, para 3.3.8. It does, however, conclude that as long as a licensing system for animal fighting has not been provided for by law—so that there is no clarity concerning the conditions set by the government for such a licence—the holding of animal fights is a criminal offence.

In The Netherlands, this has been enshrined in Article 10(1) Criminal Code, in Saint Martin (at the time of the dispute) in Article 1:13(1) Criminal Code.

Vinter et al. v. United Kingdom, ECtHR, No. 66069/09, 130/10, and 3896/10, 9 July 2013.

Ibid., para 106.

Ibid., para 110.

Ibid., para 119.

Ibid., para 122.

Ibid., para 108.

Ombudsman v. Regering van Sint Maarten, para 2.3.5.

Ombudsman v. Regering van Sint Maarten, para 3.5.3.

In The Netherlands, this follows from Article 122 Dutch Constitution; in Saint Martin from Article 118 State Constitution.

Article 2(b) Pardons Act. For the mandatory judicial advice, see Section 4 Pardons Act.

Article 118 State Constitution.

Ombudsman v. Regering van Sint Maarten, Interim Decision, 15 August 2013, para 2.9.

Amsterdam District Court, ECLI:NL:RBAMS:CA4041, BZ3412 and BZ0392, 29 January 2013.

See Vinter et al. v. United Kingdom, para 122.

The court which decides on a rejected pardon request can then offer interim relief.

The Saint Martin Criminal Code, just like its Dutch counterpart, does not contain mandatory life sentences. Hence, it is always possible for judges to impose a limited time of imprisonment instead.

Aanhangsel Handelingen II, Official Report II, 2013/14, 1336, at 1.

Janssen et al. 2015.

Van Hattum 2015.

North-Netherlands District Court, ECLI:NL:RBNNE:2015:5389, 24 November 2015.

Boogaard G (2013) Het wetgevingsbevel. Wolf Legal Publishers, Oisterwijk

Bovend’Eert PPT, Besselink LFM and Broeksteeg JLW (eds) (2012) Het staatsrecht van landen van de Europese Unie. België, Bondsrepubliek Duitsland, Frankrijk, Italie, Polen, Verenigd Koninkrijk, Zweden. Kluwer, Deventer

Fleuren JWA (2008) Toetsing van wetgeving aan de sociale grondrechten van hoofdstuk 1 van de Grondwet. Ars Aequi 2008:620–621

van Hattum W (2015) De rechter, de minister en de levenslange gevangenisstraf (deel 2). Trema 13:200–208

Hoogers HG (2011) Opnieuw: de Staatregeling van St. Maarten. Tijdschrift voor Constitutioneel Recht 2:305–314

Janssen J, Trotman T, van Walree L (2015) Levenslang da’s toch logisch… Een oordeel van de werkvloer! Nederlands Juristenblad 90:2152–2159

Kortmann CAJM (2008) Constitutioneel recht. Kluwer, Deventer

Schutgens RJB and Sillen JJJ (2014) Constitutionele toetsing in de West. Nederlands Juristenblad 89:508–514

Title: Judicial Review on the Island of Saint Martin: An Example for The Kingdom of the Netherlands?
Authors: Roel Schutgens
Joost Sillen
Publisher: T.M.C. Asser Press
Book: Netherlands Yearbook of International Law 2015
Print ISBN: 978-94-6265-113-5

Electronic ISBN: 978-94-6265-114-2

Copyright Year: 2016
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-6265-114-2_14