Invented by Joost à Campo, Maastricht University. Transforensic Psychiatry. Treatment for "pre-crime behaviour". Under lock and key that is.

About The Council of State – de Raad van State.

Founded in 1531, making it one of the world’s oldest still functioning state organisations.

The constitution dictates that the Council of State ”be heard” on proposed legislation, before the cabinet presents a bill to parliament.

In the old days it consisted of “the great nobles of the realm and a few of the great prelates”. And still today, the king is chairman. Queen Maxima has a seat, alongside former diplomats, senators, MPs and preeminent representatives from the law community. The prelates are gone, but not very far away.

The cabinet mostly follows the Council’s “dictum”, thereby handing over the power to a group of insiders appointed for life by royal decree, including judges, and they send ministers back to the drawing board if necessary, to redo the bill.

The second ‘branch’ of the Council is the High Court of Administrative Law, parallel to the Supreme Court. Where council members rule in plain suits and dresses. This NRC editorial comment explains what that’s all about: same thing, pushing a political agenda.

Parliament embrace the institution like it’s their own, bills that originate here follow the same route. Even the ones initiated by progressive Groenlinks or SP. The Hague tradition, it’s how we keep things cozy (gezellig) in the lowlands. And it sheds yet another light on the question what it is exactly that constitutes an opposition.

(Source: NRC, RaadvanState.nl, Volkskrant, RTL nieuws, Wikipedia, Parlement.com)