Reimer Veldhuis (40), alumnus of the Law programme, appointed State Advocate on 1 September

Minister Grapperhaus of Justice and Security has nominated Reimer Veldhuis as State Advocate, and HM the King has appointed Mr Veldhuis as of 1 September 2018, in which post he will assist the State of the Netherlands in legal proceedings. Mr Veldhuis is an alumnus of Utrecht University, graduating cum laude in Constitutional and Administrative Law in 2003 and in History of International Relations before that.

Reimer Veldhuis is currently a partner at Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn, the law firm in The Hague that has ‘supplied’ the State Advocate for many years. Veldhuis has over 14 years of experience of acting on behalf of the State and has broad knowledge of civil law, administrative law and criminal law. He also advises public law regulators, municipalities and provinces and acts on their behalf in legal proceedings.

In service of the State, but not a civil servant

The position of State Advocate dates back to the fourteenth century, with Johan van Oldenbarnevelt (1547-1619) likely being the most well-known State Advocate. The State Advocate is not a civil servant, but rather an independent lawyer who is appointed by means of a Royal Decree (a so-called Klein Koninklijk Besluit). One controversial case in which the State Advocate represented the Dutch State was the Urgenda climate case in 2015, in which the Urgenda Foundation sued the State of the Netherlands. Urgenda and its co-claimants ultimately won the case, and the court ordered the State to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Utrecht and Pels Rijcken 

For many years, Utrecht University's Law department has had a strategic partnership with Pels Rijcken & Droogleever Fortuijn, which was extended by a period of three years last week. The two parties work closely together in the field of education and knowledge sharing. Pels Rijcken provides guest lectures, and staff members of the Law department contribute to the courses offered by Pels Rijcken.