On February 21, 2024, a judge from The Hague's appeal court faced suspension due to his involvement in fabricating information across 43 cases.

Rather than acknowledging his sole approval, he falsely claimed that three judges had endorsed the appeals.

This deception unfolded over a span of two years, with the judge issuing these bogus declarations without the knowledge of the other two judges involved. While the motive behind his actions remains undisclosed, the court asserted that personal gain wasn't a factor, as stated in a press release.

Nonetheless, this manipulation likely boosted the court's revenue, given that hearings involving three judges incur higher costs compared to those with a single judge presiding. Estimates suggest that these cases may have contributed €110,000 in additional income to the court.

The appeals in question pertained to rulings from The Hague's magistrate court, which handles minor criminal offenses. Despite the irregularity in the judge's conduct, the appeal court expressed confidence that defendants' rights were not compromised.

The revelation of this misconduct emerged at the close of the previous year following a tip-off to court authorities. Subsequently, the court is engaged in introspection, assessing the circumstances that led to this breach and contemplating preventive measures to forestall future incidents. Photo by Chris Potter, Wikimedia commons.