Every year, several thousands of companies are declared bankrupt in the Netherlands. The purpose of the bankruptcy proceeding is to distribute the assets of those companies among its creditors. The... Show moreEvery year, several thousands of companies are declared bankrupt in the Netherlands. The purpose of the bankruptcy proceeding is to distribute the assets of those companies among its creditors. The total value of the claims of the creditors, however, almost always greatly exceeds the value of the company’s assets. In approximately 25% of the bankruptcies irregularities have occurred that caused the bankruptcy or increased the deficit in the estate. The societal damage caused by these irregularities is estimated at more than one billion euros per year.The legislator has given bankruptcy trustees a central role in identifying and redressing irregularities. However, the task of the trustee is not without controversy, mainly because the bankruptcy community does not agree with the legislator’s assumption that the task of dealing with irregularities is an extension of the trustee’s core task of liquidating the estate in the interest of the joint creditors.This research examines the discrepancies between the expectations of the legislator and the practice of redressing irregularities by trustees. Based on three empirical studies, it is concluded that the expectations of the legislator have not yet materialized, especially because trustees experience various obstacles when dealing with irregularities. The likelihood of irregularities being addressed does not appear to depend solely on the financial resources in a specific bankruptcy, but also on the person of the trustee and the views of the supervising court and its supervisory judges as perceived by the trustee.The thesis culminated in a number of recommendations to remove obstacles experienced by trustees and a plea for a revision of the primacy of creditors in bankruptcies, in order to promote sustainable liquidation. Show less
In de moderne benadering van het aansprakelijkheidsrecht zijn recht en rechtsvordering van elkaar losgekoppeld. Er wordt veel aandacht besteed aan het bestaan van rechten en plichten, maar minder... Show moreIn de moderne benadering van het aansprakelijkheidsrecht zijn recht en rechtsvordering van elkaar losgekoppeld. Er wordt veel aandacht besteed aan het bestaan van rechten en plichten, maar minder aan de remedie die is verbonden aan een inbreuk op een recht of de schending van een plicht. Het gevolg van deze disjunctieve benadering is dat vooraf onduidelijk kan zijn welke remedie in een bepaald geval – en in welke omvang – passend is. Bovendien is achteraf niet altijd goed uit te leggen waarom juist deze remedie moest worden opgelegd. Dit zorgt voor rechtsonzekerheid en rechtsongelijkheid, waardoor effectieve rechtsbescherming onder druk komt te staan.Recht, plicht, remedie brengt in kaart hoe een relationele benadering van het remedierecht past bij het geldende recht en bespreekt hoe ze bijdraagt aan het vergroten van rechtszekerheid en het verwezenlijken van materieelrechtelijke aanspraken. De auteur legt uit waarom een remedie niet op zichzelf mag worden bezien. De remedie dient voort te vloeien uit de norm waaraan deze is verbonden en de strekking die deze norm heeft. Oftewel: de norm draagt de belofte van een passende remedie in zich. Show less
The transition from the Late Roman period to the Middle Ages in Northern Gaul remains rather obscure. Since very few written sources survived, archaeological research is the main source for the... Show moreThe transition from the Late Roman period to the Middle Ages in Northern Gaul remains rather obscure. Since very few written sources survived, archaeological research is the main source for the knowledge of Early Medieval society. Theories of deserted land after the retreat of the Romans and repopulation by Germanic mass migration were rife. During the years 2001-2010 I got the opportunity to excavate an Early Medieval burial ground with 513 graves at Broechem (B, prov. of Antwerp). For the first time in Flanders modern excavation techniques and interdisciplinary post-excavation research were applied on a Merovingian cemetery. This approach tells us more about rituals, technical features, costume traditions etc., but also provides us with information regarding the socio-economic relations and the symbolic traditions. The geographic situation of Broechem in a remote area of Northern Gaul, on a loamy sand plateau enclosed by rivers, and the presence of multi-cultural objects in the grave goods, shed light on Early Medieval society. My research explores the meaning of this cemetery in this remote region by analyzing the material culture as a reflection of social and ideological life of this community in this transition period. Show less
Dit promotieonderzoek gaat over de vraag of het recht op vrije artsenkeuze grondwettelijk is beschermd en in het bijzonder voortvloeit uit artikel 8 lid 1 EVRM. Tevens wordt onderzocht wat dit... Show moreDit promotieonderzoek gaat over de vraag of het recht op vrije artsenkeuze grondwettelijk is beschermd en in het bijzonder voortvloeit uit artikel 8 lid 1 EVRM. Tevens wordt onderzocht wat dit betekent voor het Nederlandse zorgstelsel, waaronder de Zorgverzekeringswet, Wet langdurige zorg, Jeugdwet en Wet maatschappelijke ondersteuning 2015. Show less
As a curator, in museum Beelden aan Zee, I exhibited the Gorille enlevant une Femme, by Emmanuel Fremiet dated 1887, in an exhibition of French and Belgian animal sculptors in 2011. The... Show moreAs a curator, in museum Beelden aan Zee, I exhibited the Gorille enlevant une Femme, by Emmanuel Fremiet dated 1887, in an exhibition of French and Belgian animal sculptors in 2011. The confrontation with, and my great surprise about this sculpture (a gorilla abducting a woman) led to this research. Just imagine: you walk into a living room in an appartment on the Boulevard des Capucines in Paris around 1890, and on a side table, one discovers a bronze sculpture: a gorilla abducting a woman. Such a sculpture does not suit our sense of taste. I suspected that this sculpture would represent more than just 'a curious piece of kitsch'. The resulting research in my dissertation led to many things: it turned out that the artist was world-famous in his time, it turned out that the gorilla had only been discovered in 1847, and it turned out that a few more gorilla sculptures had been made by Fremiet, the first as early as 1859. Furthermore, I discuss the entrance of the gorilla into zoology, the theme of the abduction of women in art and the use of the image for nationalistic and anti-Semitic purposes. The relevance of this research lies in the use of all kinds of other disciplines, which results in a new art-historical image of nineteenth century art and sculpture. The study also addresses nineteenth century issues: colonialism, the poor position of women, antisemitism, nationalism and our relationship to the animal kingdom are related to technical and iconographical interpretations of the Fremiet gorillas. Show less
Labour exploitation of migrants is a serious problem worldwide, also in Europe and in the Netherlands. Since the entry into force of the Palermo Protocol (2000), labour exploitation has been... Show moreLabour exploitation of migrants is a serious problem worldwide, also in Europe and in the Netherlands. Since the entry into force of the Palermo Protocol (2000), labour exploitation has been regarded as a form of the criminal offense of human trafficking. This means that the approach is largely aimed at the most serious forms of exploitation and at criminal prosecution of the perpetrators. The legal position of the victims is subordinate to the criminal proceedings. This study focuses on the rights of migrants to protection against labour exploitation; in the EU and in the Netherlands in particular. Labour exploitation is herein defined as a violation of labour standards laid down in different jurisdictions. Based on an analysis of human rights, criminal law, the right to free movement of persons and migration law for third country nationals, how protection is offered to migrants against labour exploitation. The research identifies the rights that migrants can derive from these four jurisdictions and analyses how access to these rights are facilitated by the state. Due to this combination of aspects, this study contributes to increasing insight into migrant's rights to protection against labour exploitation by the state. Show less
In linguistic research, present-day Dutch has been characterized as a pluricentric language, meaning that there are multiple centers from where language norms spread. Within the Dutch language area... Show moreIn linguistic research, present-day Dutch has been characterized as a pluricentric language, meaning that there are multiple centers from where language norms spread. Within the Dutch language area, we can discern a center in the Northern Netherlands (the Randstad area) and the Southern Netherlands (around the province of Brabant). Traditional histories of the language suggest that pluricentricity for Dutch is a relatively recent phenomenon, dating back to the beginning of the 20th century. However, based on findings from empirical historical-linguistic research, we could expect to situate pluricentricity at least 100 years earlier in time. This dissertation therefore provides an in-depth study in which pluricentricity is put into a broader historical perspective.Through systematic corpus analyses, this dissertation aims to assess the usefulness of the modern concept of pluricentricity in Dutch language history. A total of six linguistic features is examined in the Historical Corpus of Dutch (HCD), a new multi-genre, diachronic corpus, involving central and peripheral regions in both the North and the South. Moreover, by integrating Northern and Southern varieties of Dutch in the study, and by mapping the interactions between the different regions, we want to lay the foundation for an integrated history of Dutch. Show less
Roger Martin du Gard (1881-1958) (Nobel Prize for Literature in 1937 for the novel cycle Les Thibault in 8 parts, included in the Pléiade edition, Oeuvres complètes, 1955) put, between 1941 and... Show moreRoger Martin du Gard (1881-1958) (Nobel Prize for Literature in 1937 for the novel cycle Les Thibault in 8 parts, included in the Pléiade edition, Oeuvres complètes, 1955) put, between 1941 and 1955, the novel Le Lieutenant-Colonel de Maumort (or: Maumort) on paper, his latest work, which remaines unfunished. It was released posthumously in 1983.The thesis covers in seven chapters a number of aspects of Maumort. In Section I the septuagenarian Bertrand de Maumort looks back on his life (the story is in the first person). His childhood spent in a castle in Normandy (Le Saillant) and his studies in Paris, were given the most space. Instead of ‘Mémoires’, the basic form of Maumort could also have been that of letters (Section II). Maumort corresponds with his friend, the doctor Gévresin (by whom he was given shelter for a large part of the war) about everything he experiences after his return to Le Saillant. There are now (only) nine letters (december 1944-January 1945). After that, the correspondence stops. In the Boîte Noire (Black Box)(Section III), about 40 files appear (= folders in which Martin du Gard stored thoughts on specific subjects that he had written); some of them mention Les Thibault, especially regarding the character Antoine Thibault. Show less
The Weimar Republic, founded in November 1918, was the first real democracy on German territory. It didn’t last long. On the 23th of March 1933, Hitler took power and abolished democracy to start... Show moreThe Weimar Republic, founded in November 1918, was the first real democracy on German territory. It didn’t last long. On the 23th of March 1933, Hitler took power and abolished democracy to start building his totalitarian Third Reich. Since then, the Weimar Republic became famous – or rather infamous – for being a ‘failed democracy’. In this research, the downfall of Weimar’s democracy is of central interest. After broadly stating the historical reality of the first Germany democracy, this thesis focusses on the juridical and philosophical concepts underlying the Weimar democracy to answer the question to what extent they offered real possibilities to defend the democratic state. It answers this question for the dominant philosophical school in Germany when the Weimar Constitution was drafted: legal positivism, for the Weimar Constitution itself as well as for Hans Kelsen, Carl Schmitt, Hermann Heller and Rudolf Smend. Show less
There are approximately 400 companies in the Netherlands that handle large quantities of hazardous substances (Brzo companies). They pose a major risk of damage to people, the environment, movable... Show moreThere are approximately 400 companies in the Netherlands that handle large quantities of hazardous substances (Brzo companies). They pose a major risk of damage to people, the environment, movable and immovable property. Since 1945 there have been 172 dead and 1719 wounded in the Netherlands.The government has a responsibility to ensure that the Brzo companies comply with legislation and regulations (compliance). Important instruments that the government can use are legislation, supervision and enforcement.In order to determine the current state of the quality of the government's implementation of this task, a study was conducted with the central research question: Is the quality of the current supervision and enforcement by the government such that the companies large quantities of hazardous substances are brought into compliance with legislation and regulations? A qualitative case study was chosen among five collaborating government supervisors. Document analysis and semi-structured interviews were used as research methods in these cases. A conceptual model has been drawn up.The study leads to the conclusion that Brzo supervision is in order quantitatively, but is sub-optimal in terms of quality. Show less
Neither red nor orange is a study of the manner in which Dutch sailors developed as a professional group during the period 1870-1914, and how the (naval and other) authorities and the 'outside... Show moreNeither red nor orange is a study of the manner in which Dutch sailors developed as a professional group during the period 1870-1914, and how the (naval and other) authorities and the 'outside world' responded to this. The key questions are: how did the Dutch rating's emancipation proceed in the period prior to the First World War, and what responses did this fight for emancipation provoke among the (naval) authorities, Parliament and the press? It is likely that the dissatisfaction, the alleged sympathy for the SDAP among sailors, and the fierce response of the naval authorities were interrelated. This doctoral thesis aims to analyse and explain the formation of the tensions within the Royal Netherlands Navy that reached an evident peak in 1918. In essence, this entails addressing the more abstract question of how an authoritarian organisation such as the Navy and an increasingly democratic society came to relate to one another. In doing so, this study outlines the background against which the discussion about the reliability and political affiliations of the fleet should be considered. Show less
Most European Roma and Sinti achieve such low levels of education that they have basically no chance of moving up the social ladder. This study compares the educational positions of Roma and Sinti... Show moreMost European Roma and Sinti achieve such low levels of education that they have basically no chance of moving up the social ladder. This study compares the educational positions of Roma and Sinti in the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, based on more than fifty biographical interviews with Roma and Sinti.Compared to the Netherlands, the poverty and social segregation among Czech Roma is more severe. Discrimination and racism against Czech Roma are virulent and ubiquitous. Yet, Roma and Sinti in the Netherlands have developed a similar suspicion of people outside their own circle and a similar negative attitude towards education, in response to their common history of deprivation, expulsion and even twice a genocide, in the eighteenth century and in the Second World War.Those Roma and Sinti who did receive an education were no longer seen as Roma or Sinti. This is why the highly educated did not function as role models until recently. Yet, this study shows there is a cautious turnaround. In both countries, the Roma and Sinti parents of the young generation of highly educated people, often low-educated themselves, had come to regard better education as the only way towards a better life. Show less
Government has a special responsibility for its military. This research is about the care of veterans by government, parliament and society in the period 1945-2015. Therein the central matter is... Show moreGovernment has a special responsibility for its military. This research is about the care of veterans by government, parliament and society in the period 1945-2015. Therein the central matter is the development of the Dutch veteran policy (1945-2015) and in which way did the government met its responsibilities? To answer the main question, the theory of civil-military relations was used as a theoretical framework. This civil-military relationship concernsthe relationship between society and armed forces as well as the relationship between government and armed forces. Which roles did parliament and society fulfil in the care for veterans? Using six military missions, we researched in what ways the government met their duty of care towards (ex-)military personnel in practice before, during and after a mission.Until 1990 the government had no definition for a ‘veteran’. The military personnel who were deployed in the Dutch East Indies, Korea and the Lebanon as well as smaller missions, did not have veteran status before 1990.When viewing the period 1945-2015, we can conclude that the government did not meet fully its special responsibility to its veterans. Show less
Article 162(2) of Book 6 of the Dutch Civil Code sets out the central concept of non-contractual liability law by providing a definition of what is deemed a tortious act. The list of different... Show moreArticle 162(2) of Book 6 of the Dutch Civil Code sets out the central concept of non-contractual liability law by providing a definition of what is deemed a tortious act. The list of different types of tortious acts concludes with the qualification: ‘except for the presence of a ground of justification’. Thus, the door to the exception to the core of non-contractual liability law has been left wide open. A fascination for this ‘escape’ incorporated in Dutch liability law was one of the motives for this dissertation. This study set out on a journey of discovery through the full breadth of non-contractual liability law, constantly viewed from the perspective of the exception to the rule. The first part of the dissertation is a general exploration of the area of research. The different types of torts are described, the concepts of justification and grounds of justification are defined and the distinction between the grounds of exculpation is provided, and a comparision with criminal law is made. The second part of the study classifies the subject matter. For this purpose, the different types of justifications are defined and divided into categories: complete, incomplete and conditional justifications. The third part of the dissertation is devoted to the principles of justification: culpa in causa and proportionality and subsidiarity. The focus of the book then shifts to the content of the justification. To that end, in the fourth part of the book justification is considered in light of wrongfulness, guilt and relativity. The fifth and final part of the dissertation deals with the legal effects of the presence of a justification: the impact on the judgements of the act and of the obligation to compensate. Show less
In large-scale infrastructure projects, the Dutch government allows its citizens to suffer some damage and nuisance ('facilitated damage'). The government then aims to settle claims and compensate... Show moreIn large-scale infrastructure projects, the Dutch government allows its citizens to suffer some damage and nuisance ('facilitated damage'). The government then aims to settle claims and compensate that damage; it also tries to restore the trust relationship between victimized citizens and the government. How can government arrive at a trust-building compensation policy if it has facilitated damage for a group of citizens in a large-scale infrastructural project, for the sake of the public interest? In this research, an interdisciplinary theoretical framework of trust-building compensation policy is designed based on legal, public administrative and political science insights. Subsequently, on the basis of three extensive case studies – the construction of the North/South metro line in Amsterdam, the expansion of Schiphol Airport, and the consequences of gas extraction in Groningen – the study analyzes to what extent these theoretical insights have an effect in practice: did they help to build or recover trust in government? The aim of the study is to provide practical and concrete guidelines for lawyers and policymakers involved in compensation policy, so that they know how not to damage trust in the government in the future. Show less
Is the current regulation for non-therapeutic research with incompetent persons an ethically acceptable regulation to expand the medical-scientific knowledge about diseases and medical treatment of... Show moreIs the current regulation for non-therapeutic research with incompetent persons an ethically acceptable regulation to expand the medical-scientific knowledge about diseases and medical treatment of minors and adult incompetent persons? To answer this question at first the historical line of ethics on medical-research with human subjects is followed from the Nuremburg Code until the Dutch regulation in the 21st century in part I.To what extent can the role of treating physician be combined in a morally responsible way with the role of researcher if those roles do not coincide? For example, in non-therapeutic research? There is a crucial difference between the researcher-subject relationship and physician-patient relationship. Informed consent is a necessary, but not sufficient, condition to protect patient subjects (part II).In the first version of the Dutch legislation in 1998, non-therapeutic research with incompetent persons was subject to strict conditions: group relatedness, negligible risks and minimal burden. Many medical researchers found these criteria too restrictive and called for the law to be extended. In 2016 the criteria for risks and burden were extended to ‘minimal compared to the standard treatment’(part III).This regulation is not an optimal regulation. The assumption that those who are already used to something can endure more, is questionable (part IV). Show less
This thesis subject is the Union right to be heard en answers the question to what extent Dutch (tax) procedural law complies with the right to be heard and how Dutch (tax) proceduralthe... Show moreThis thesis subject is the Union right to be heard en answers the question to what extent Dutch (tax) procedural law complies with the right to be heard and how Dutch (tax) proceduralthe implementation of the right tot be heard is recommended. Show less
This study analyses the Dutch military’s tactical conduct in Indonesia during the decolonization war of 1945-1949. Its principal questions are how the Dutch armed forces understood and shaped their... Show moreThis study analyses the Dutch military’s tactical conduct in Indonesia during the decolonization war of 1945-1949. Its principal questions are how the Dutch armed forces understood and shaped their tactical military conduct in Indonesia, and to what extent this can help explain the extremely violent nature of the war.The Dutch armed forces interpreted the conflict within the conceptual framework of past colonial wars, of the restoration of authority by military means, and of regular warfare. While the Dutch military did learn some lessons during the conflict, radical new insights were not developed, for various reasons.From beginning to end, Dutch military conduct in Indonesia was characterised by harsh repressive action, the absolute prioritisation of military solutions, mistrust of the Indonesian civilian population and the disregard of the risk of civilian casualties and collateral damage. This modus operandi found backing in both the existing and new tactical regulations and the army’s organizational culture. The army’s forceful and harsh mode of conduct during the war was therefore not simply the result of situational force majeure or the political developments; it was also born from the way in which the Dutch armed forces understood the conflict. Show less
Burgerraadplegingen door het Openbaar Ministerie, actievere voorlichting en uitspraken in ‘klare taal’: initiatieven gericht op verbetering van de relatie tussen de strafrechtspleging en het... Show moreBurgerraadplegingen door het Openbaar Ministerie, actievere voorlichting en uitspraken in ‘klare taal’: initiatieven gericht op verbetering van de relatie tussen de strafrechtspleging en het publiek zijn er te over. Dit is niet verwonderlijk, nu vaak wordt aangenomen dat deze relatie onder hoogspanning staat. Burgers vinden de straffen maar laag en rechters zijn te ver verwijderd van de burger, is de veelgehoorde gedachte.Dit onderzoek probeert antwoorden te geven op vragen die in dit verband rijzen. Waarop is de veronderstelling dat de relatie tussen het publiek en de strafrechtspleging zo problematisch is, eigenlijk gebaseerd? Waarop stoelt de gedachte dat de in de praktijk ontplooide initiatieven deze relatie zouden kunnen verbeteren? Wat kan er beter in de relatie tussen het strafrecht en het publiek? En wat verstaan we in dit verband precies onder ‘beter’?Om deze vragen te beantwoorden worden in dit onderzoek empirische en normatieve gezichtspunten gecombineerd. Het bevat een theoretische analyse van begrippen als ‘publieke opinie’ en ‘legitimiteit’ en een kritische bespreking van bestaand onderzoek. Daarnaast wordt aan de hand van twee deelstudies onderzocht hoe het Openbaar Ministerie in dialoog treedt met de publieke opinie. Het onderzoek resulteert in een concreet beoordelingskader voor op de publieke opinie gericht handelen van actoren in de strafrechtspleging en besluit met enkele aanbevelingen aan politiek, strafrechtspraktijk en wetenschap. Show less
**English Translation of this thesis can be found at : https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3245181 **Deze dissertatie gaat over hoe schrijvers en beeldende kunstenaars uit Equatoriaal Guinea door middel... Show more**English Translation of this thesis can be found at : https://hdl.handle.net/1887/3245181 **Deze dissertatie gaat over hoe schrijvers en beeldende kunstenaars uit Equatoriaal Guinea door middel van hun werk aandacht vragen voor de huidige (politieke) situatie in hun land; een voormalige kolonie van Spanje die in 1968 onafhankelijk werd met tot op heden een dictatoriaal regime. Onderzocht is, vanuit een politiek-filosofisch kader (Jacques Rancière en Alain Badiou) en door middel van een narratieve en visuele analyse, waar zich in de werken van de uit het land afkomstige schrijvers Donato Ndongo Bydiogo, Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel en María Nsue Angüe, en de beeldende kunstenaar Ramón Esono Ebalé, breukvlakken en leegten bevinden. Mijn onderzoek toont aan dat het bijzondere en de kracht van hun werken niet zozeer gelegen is in de hierin naar voren komende historische aspecten of bepaalde binaire tegenstellingen (zoals veel onderzoekers tot nu toe veronderstelden), maar juist in het poëtische van wat de in de werken gevonden breukvlakken en leegten blootleggen en openen. Dat maakt dat met deze werken een procedure in gang wordt gezet die de gesloten waarheid van het huidige dictatoriale regime overstijgt, waarmee die dictatuur als het ware wordt opengebroken en geleegd. Show less
