My current and recent research projects focus on questions of Dutch and European constitutional law in a human rights perspective. They include contributions on constitutional challenges for the administrative state and public law in the complex networks of border crossing legal development. Many of these publications are related to the principles of democracies under the rule of law (democratische rechtsstaat) and deal with the relations between politics and the judiciary. The human rights focus of several recent and current research projects includes developments in migration law and citizenship law. 

The long-standing flagship project of the Tilburg University Department of Public Law "Commentaar op de Grondwet", formerly edited by Alis Koekkoek, now continued by Ernst Hirsch Ballin, Eric Janse de Jonge en Gert-Jan Leenknegt, has since five years been available as a web publication in open access and will in 2020 also be published by Boom juridisch as a book in two volumes, entitled "Uitleg van de Grondwet".

A new English language flagship project is the European Yearbook of Constitutional Law, edited by Ernst Hirsch Ballin , Gerhard van der Schyff, Maarten Stremler and Maartje van der Woude. The first volume (2019) deals with the power of the judiciary and is published by Asser Press with Springer.

Experience

Member of the government of the Netherlands 1989-1994, 2006-2010

Minister of Justice (November 1989-May 1994 in the third Lubbers government, September 2006 - February 2007 in the third Balkenende government, and February 2007- October 2010 in the fourth Balkenende government)

Minister of Netherlands Antillean and Aruban Affairs (November 1989-May 1994 in the third Lubbers government)

Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Affairs (Februari - October 2010 in the fourth Balkenende government)

Judge 1995-1989, 1995-2006

Council of State (Council Member 2000-2006, President of the Judicial Division 2003-2006)

Administrative Court for Social Security and the Civil Service (Centrale Raad van Beroep, deputy member 1983-1989 and 1995-2006)

Member of Parliament

Senate (Eerste Kamer, June 1995 - June 1999, June 1999 - October 2000), and on behalf of the Senate: Chair of the Standing Committee for the Ministry of Justice (1999-2000), Member of the Convention for the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (1999-2000) and Deputy Member of the North Atlantic Assembly (1995-2000)

Chamber of Deputies (Tweede Kamer, May 1994 - June 1995)

Academic

Chair of Dutch and European Constitutional Law (Tilburg University, 2011-mid 2021)

Chair of Human Rights Law (University of Amsterdam, 2011-end 2020)

Chair of International Law (part-time/honorary, Tilburg University 1994-2006)

Chair of Constitutional and Administrative Law (Tilburg University, 1981-1989)

Other (selection)

President of the board, Catholic University for Theology, Utrecht (1999-2006, now merged with Tilburg University)

Vice-chair of the Catholic Radio and Television Organisation (KRO, 1996-2000)

Vice-chair of the Strategy committee of the Christian-democratic party (Strategisch beraad, 1994-1996)

Royal Commissioner for the Review of Legislation Projects (1987-1989)

Chair of the Government advisory committee for relations with the religious institutions  (Overheid, godsdienst en levensbeschouwing, 1987-1989)

Vice-chair of the Government advisory committee for general rules of administrative law (Algemene regels van bestuursrecht, 1983-1989)

Education

Doctorate (May 1979, University of Amsterdam, cum laude)

LL.M. (January 1974, University of Amsterdam, cum laude)

Gymnasium A (June 1968, Het Amsterdams Lyceum)

Honors

Officer in the Légion d'Honneur (2014)

Award of honour of the Dutch Lawyers Association (NJV-prijs, 2014)

Adriaan Borst Award (Christian Social Congress, 2012)

Officer in the Order of Orange-Nassau (2010)

Knight in the Order of the Dutch Lion (Nederlandse Leeuw, 1994)

G.A. van Poelje Award of the Association for Public Administration (Vereniging voor Bestuurskunde, 1980)

Several other foreign royal and presidential decorations 

Advanced Constitutional and Administrative Law (Verdiepend staats- en bestuursrecht)

Migration and EU Rule of Law

Legal Research Methods (Honours Program TLS)

Constitutionalizing Complexity (Tilburg University College)

Click here for my courses.

PhD dissertations supervised:

5 juni 1987 - A.F.M. Brenninkmeijer

20 mei1988 - R.M. van Male

29 september 1988 - J.P. de Jong

22 september 1989 - P.H. Banda

30 augustus 1990 - C.P.J. Goorden

1 juli 1991 - M.H. Kobussen

1 oktober 1991 - J.J.H. Wiggers

7 juni 1993 - Ph. Eijlander

5 juli 1993 - P.J.J. Zoontjens

16 december 1994 - H.A.M. Backx

13 januari 1995 - A.J.C. de Moor-van Vugt

8 september 1995 - G. Overkleeft-Verburg

16 juni 1997 - M.L.P. van Houten

18 mei 2001 - A.K. Meijknecht

7 november 2003 - C.R.J.J. Rijken

3 juni 2005 - P.L.G. van Velzen (overgenomen van Alis Koekkoek)

21 april 2006 - J.M.F. Spierings

12 mei 2006 - A.G. Croes

16 juni 2006 - Th.B.F.M. Brinkel

13 oktober 2006 - R.M. Schnitker

15 april 2008 - R.A.J. Steenvoorde

19 november 2014 - H.A. Post

11 december 2017 - H. Zhai

20 december 2019 - Leesi Ebenezer Mitee