Glossary
The language of cassation.
Dutch cassation proceedings have a vocabulary of their own. The most important terms, briefly explained — with the original Dutch terms, because those are the words used in the case file.
Terms
From aanzegging to arrest.
- Hoge Raad (Supreme Court)
- The highest court of the Netherlands.
- Cassatie (cassation)
- The proceedings before the Supreme Court.
- Cassatieschriftuur (grounds of appeal)
- The mandatory written document filed by the cassation lawyer, setting out the complaints against the judgment of the lower court.
- Cassatieadvocaat (cassation lawyer)
- The lawyer who files the grounds of appeal. Representation by a lawyer is compulsory in criminal cassation proceedings.
- Middelen van cassatie (grounds of cassation)
- The complaints formulated by the lawyer in the grounds of appeal against the judgment of the lower court.
- Procureur-Generaal (Procurator General)
- The head of the Procurator General's Office at the Supreme Court, who advises the Court in cassation proceedings.
- Conclusie (advisory opinion)
- The advisory opinion of the Procurator General or an Advocate General to the Supreme Court in cassation proceedings.
- Aanzegging (notice)
- The letter in which the Supreme Court confirms receipt of the criminal file and informs the defendant that a lawyer must file the grounds of appeal within sixty days.
- Arrest (judgment)
- The decision of the Supreme Court. A judgment of a court of appeal is also called an 'arrest'; a decision of a district court is a 'vonnis'.
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