🇳🇱 holandês · C2 · Academic & Professional Writing

Legal & administrative Dutch

5 min de leitura · legal terminology · passive in official documents · ambtelijk taalgebruik

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Vocabulário

de wetgevingthe legislation
het vonnisthe verdict/judgment
de beklaagdethe defendant/accused
het geschilthe dispute
de rechtspraakthe jurisdiction/case law
het beroepthe appeal
de verordeningthe regulation/ordinance
het dwangbevelthe enforcement order
de ambtenaarthe civil servant
het bestuursrechtadministrative law
de aansprakelijkheidthe liability
het procesrechtprocedural law

Legal & Administrative Dutch

Dutch legal language (*juridisch Nederlands*) has a distinctive character shaped by centuries of legal tradition. It features archaic constructions that have been preserved in law while disappearing from everyday speech.

Key features include compound constructions with *-halve* (e.g., *ambtshalve* — ex officio), *-wege* (e.g., *van rechtswege* — by operation of law), and *-overeenkomstig* (in accordance with). These function almost as fixed legal formulas.

The passive voice dominates: *wordt veroordeeld tot* (is sentenced to), *wordt geacht* (is deemed). Legal texts also use archaic verb forms: *het zij zo* (so be it), *men leze* (one should read — subjunctive).

Administrative Dutch (*ambtelijk Nederlands*) uses characteristic phrases: *te uwer informatie* (for your information — formal), *ingevolge artikel 3* (pursuant to article 3), *behoudens goedkeuring* (subject to approval).

Dutch law distinguishes between privaatrecht (private law) and publiekrecht (public law). The civil code (*Burgerlijk Wetboek*, abbreviated BW) is the cornerstone. Belgian legal Dutch differs notably, using *rechtbank van eerste aanleg* where the Netherlands uses *rechtbank*.

Expressões

Ingevolge artikel 12 lid 3Pursuant to article 12, paragraph 3
De eiser vordert schadevergoedingThe plaintiff claims damages
Behoudens tegenbewijsUnless proven otherwise
Van rechtswege nietig verklaardDeclared void by operation of law
Te uwer kennisgevingFor your notification (formal)
Krachtens de wet bepaaldStipulated by virtue of the law

Erros frequentes

~~Hij is schuld~~
Hij is schuldig
Schuld is a noun (guilt); schuldig is the adjective (guilty)
~~Volgens van de wet~~
Volgens de wet / Krachtens de wet
Volgens already means 'according to'; no need for van
~~De rechter heeft beslist dat~~
De rechter heeft besloten dat
Beslissen is used for choosing; besluiten/besloten for judicial decisions
~~Het contract is verbroken~~
Het contract is ontbonden
Legal Dutch uses ontbinden (dissolve) for contracts, not verbreken (break)
~~De wet zei dat~~
De wet bepaalt dat
Laws do not 'say' (zeggen); they 'stipulate' (bepalen) in legal Dutch

Quiz rápido

Pergunta 1 de 5

Como se diz «the legislation» em holandês?

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