Dissertation
Pre-Trial Detention in the Dutch Juvenile Justice System
On 25 January 2018 Yannick van den Brink defended his doctoral thesis titled ‘Voorlopige hechtenis in het Nederlands jeugdstrafrecht’ (‘Pre-trial detention in the Dutch juvenile justice system’). The doctoral research is supervised by Professor Ton Liefaard and Professor Mariëlle Bruning.
- Author
- Yannick van den Brink
- Date
- 25 January 2018
- Links
- News item PhD defence Yannick van den Brink
- Leiden University Repository
Van den Brink’s doctoral research analyses the use of pre-trial detention in the Dutch juvenile justice system, through normative and empirical research methods, in light of the core international and European children’s rights and human rights principle that prohibits unlawful and arbitrary detention.
Qualitative empirical research methods have been used to analyse the judicial decision-making process. Observations during 225 pre-trial court hearings at five youth courts were conducted to find out which factors judges find decisive when ordering a juvenile’s pre-trial detention or alternatives to pre-trial detention. Further insights into perceptions on the pre-trial detention of juveniles and possible alternatives are provided by 71 in-depth interviews with specialised judges, prosecutors, defence lawyers, social workers and other professional stakeholders.