Rogier Hartendorp appointed professor by special appointment
The new chair Maatschappelijke Effectiviteit van de Rechtspleging (Societal Effectiveness of the Justice System) is linked to the collaboration between Leiden University and the Court of The Hague.
Hartendorp has been a judge since 2010 and has worked at the Court of The Hague since 2014. In 2008 he received a doctorate from the Erasmus University Rotterdam for his dissertation that dealt with everyday civil procedure.
At a time when judicial authority is no longer self-evident and in many cases a sole court decision is inadequate, Hartendorp is looking forward to holding the chair. 'Because of the existing procedural structure, in some cases an even greater divide is created between parties. As a judge you can pass judgment on the dispute at hand, but the question remains whether the underlying issue has been addressed as a result. At the same time, a judge is of course not a social worker. So this gives rise to an interesting area of tension.’
Further collaboration
Leiden University has been working with the Court of The Hague for eight years now. In the coming years Hartendorp wishes to extend this collaboration even further. 'I have a number of fundamental questions on the role and positioning of our judicial system. To be able to answer these questions and to make the right choices, we need a theoretical framework that involves various (scientific) lines of approach. I am looking forward to studying this more closely in the coming years, together with students, university researchers and professional colleagues.'
Joanne van der Leun, Dean of Leiden Law School at Leiden University, is pleased with Hartendorp’s appointment. 'Our collaboration with the Court of The Hague has been very productive for years, both for the Court and the Law School. The thematic approach which Rogier Hartendorp will take in his position links directly with discussions being held in society on the judicial system. The appointment also reinforces the course that the Law School will be taking in the coming years. More attention for the social role and effects of (among other things) the judicial system. And it is a great plus that the new chair will also bring with him experience in empirical legal studies.