Nieuwsoverzicht

The Supreme Court of the Netherlands has determined that Dutch criminal law can be applied to members of an armed opposition group who commit terrorist offences outside the territory of the Netherlands in the course of an internal armed conflict. International humanitarian law (also known as the law of war) does not apply exclusively to such cases in a manner that renders general criminal law inapplicable.

The Supreme Court ruled the 20th of January that the European Patent Organisation (EPOrg) is entitled to invoke its immunity from jurisdiction in a dispute with trade unions. Consequently, the Dutch courts have no jurisdiction in the dispute between EPOrg and two trade unions, Vakbondsunie van het Europees Octrooibureau (VEOB) and Staff Union of the European Patent Office (SUEPO). The Supreme Court quashed the previous judgments in the case by the interim relief judge and The Hague Appeal Court.