Criminal law; key figures 1994-2016
Explanation of symbols
Table explanation
This table provides data on criminal cases brought before subdistrict and district courts and settlements under the Act Mulder (enforcement of traffic regulations). Data about convictions and aquittals in criminal cases brought before the subdistrict courts in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 are temporarily not available, due to changes in the reports by the subdistrict courts. Data about subdistrict court criminal cases in 2014 and 2015 are not available.
Data available from: 1994
Status of the figures: the figures of the most recent year are provisional, previous years are final data.
The figures of the most recent year are provisional, previous years are final data.
The data on penal orders of the GPS-system proved to be incomplete, which causes an underestimation of the number of penal orders.
Also the data on settlements by judge of the COMPAS-system proved to be incomplete due to an error in the selection to CBS. This causes an underestimation of the number of settlements by judge.
Changes as of January 8, 2020:
None, this table has been stopped.
Changes as of 11 September, 2017:
The figures on decisions of the Public Prosecution Service proved to be incomplete. In consultation with the correspondent the figures on 2008-2016 are improved.
The figures on settlements by judge proved to be incomplete. In consultation with the correspondent the figures on 2001-2016 are improved.
The provisional data on 2016 are added to the table.
Due to funding cuts there will be no new data for this statistic as from 1 January 2018. For more information see the link in paragraph 3.
When will new figures be published?
Due to funding cuts there will be no new data for this statistic as from 1 January 2018. For more information see the link in paragraph 3.
Data available from: 1994
Status of the figures: the figures of the most recent year are provisional, previous years are final data.
The figures of the most recent year are provisional, previous years are final data.
The data on penal orders of the GPS-system proved to be incomplete, which causes an underestimation of the number of penal orders.
Also the data on settlements by judge of the COMPAS-system proved to be incomplete due to an error in the selection to CBS. This causes an underestimation of the number of settlements by judge.
Changes as of January 8, 2020:
None, this table has been stopped.
Changes as of 11 September, 2017:
The figures on decisions of the Public Prosecution Service proved to be incomplete. In consultation with the correspondent the figures on 2008-2016 are improved.
The figures on settlements by judge proved to be incomplete. In consultation with the correspondent the figures on 2001-2016 are improved.
The provisional data on 2016 are added to the table.
Due to funding cuts there will be no new data for this statistic as from 1 January 2018. For more information see the link in paragraph 3.
When will new figures be published?
Due to funding cuts there will be no new data for this statistic as from 1 January 2018. For more information see the link in paragraph 3.
Description topics
- Subdistrict court criminal cases
- Subdistrict court criminal cases are generally trespasses (minor offences).
- Registered criminal cases
- The total number of subdistrict court criminal cases registered at the
Public Prosecution Service (OM).
- Settlement Public Prosecution Service
- Number of final decisions by a Public Prosecutor.
Final decision by a Public Prosecutor: dismissal, joinder ad informandum, joinder for trial, discharge of liability to conviction by payment of a fixed fine, or transferral to courts department of another district.- Decisions Public Prosecution Service
- Total numbers of final decisions by a Public Prosecutor.
- Settlement by judge
- Number of settlements by judge.
Final verdict, i.e. guilty, acquittal, or other final verdict.- Total settlement by a judge
- Total numbers of settlements by judge.
- District court criminal cases
- District court criminal cases are mainly serious crimes (penal offences).
- Registered criminal cases
- Total number of district court criminal cases registered at the Public Prosecution Service (OM).
- Decisions Public Prosecution Service
- Number of final decisions by a Public Prosecutor.
Final decision by a Public Prosecutor: dismissal, joinder ad informandum, joinder for trial, discharge of liability to conviction by payment of a fixed fine, or transferral to courts department of another district.- Decisions Public Prosecution Service
- Total numbers of final decisions by a Public Prosecutor.
- Summons
- Official document (writ) summoning a person to appear in court to settle a conflict (civil procedure) or to be tried for criminal charges (criminal procedure).
It also includes the cases in which the defendant has filed an appeal against his/her penal order (other penal orders than imposed by the Public Prosecutor) and needs to appear in court for criminal charges.
- Unconditional dismissal
- Number of unconditional dismissal.
A criminal case can be dismissed by the Public Prosecutor. Unconditional dismissals may be either technical of discretionary.
- Conditional dismissal
- Number of conditional dismissal.
A criminal case can be dismissed by the Public Prosecutor. Conditional dismissals are discretionary.
- Transaction
- The number of cases settled with a transaction.
A transaction is a proposal by the investigating police officer or the Public Prosecutor to settle and thus avoid prosecution. A transaction is only possible under certain circumstances and the suspect has to meet certain conditions. An example is payment of a fine.
Until 2000, tit for tat settlements were counted in the category ‘other and unknown’. From 2001 on, they are counted in the category ‘Transactions’.
- Penal order
- Number of penal orders.
A penalty which may be imposed on a suspect by the Public Prosecutor without intervention of the court. Examples are a fine, community service, driving disqualification, withdrawal from circulation, or a payment to the State for the benefit of the victim. This penalty may not be a custodial sentence.
- Settlement by judge
- Number of settlements by judge.
Final verdict, i.e. guilty, acquittal, or other final verdict- Total settlement by a judge
- Total numbers of settlements by judge.
- Convictions
- Number of verdicts of guilty.
Verdict by a judge who considers the charges by the Public Prosecutor proven and punishable and considers the suspect punishable.
- Acquittals and discharges
- Number of acquittals and discharges.
Acquittal: verdict by a judge who feels there is no proof that the suspect committed the crime he/she was charged with by the Public Prosecutor.
Discharge from all further prosecution: A court order issued in cases where the Public Prosecution Service has been able to prove the charges against a defendant, but the relevant offence or the offender is not punishable.
- Road traffic act orders
- Settlements under Road traffic act. These are always fines. The Road traffic act orders are registered dispositions.
- Dispositions Road traffic act
- Total Road traffic act orders
- Total number of settlements under the Road traffic act
- Speeding
- Number of fines imposed for speeding.
- Traffic lights
- Number of fines imposed for traffic light offences.
- Parking/standing still
- Number of fines imposed for parking offences and standing still.
- Other fines under Road traffic act
- Number of fines imposed under the Road traffic act for other traffic offences.
- Orders based on vehicle registration
- Fines imposed on vehicle owner, who is identified on the basis of the vehicle's registration number, for example determined through camera images.
- Total (camera) verhicle registration
- Speeding
- Number of fines imposed for speeding.
- Traffic lights
- Number of fines imposed for traffic light offences.
- Parking/standing still
- Number of fines imposed for parking offences and standing still.
- Other fines under Road traffic act
- Number of fines imposed under the Road traffic act for other traffic offences.
- Stopped by police
- Orders issued when a suspect is stopped by the police and asked for identification.
- Total stopped by police
- Speeding
- Number of fines imposed for speeding.
- Traffic lights
- Number of fines imposed for traffic light offences.
- Parking/standing still
- Number of fines imposed for parking offences and standing still.
- Other fines under Road traffic act
- Number of fines imposed under the Road traffic act for other traffic offences.