Judges are threatening to resign if the government pushes through its plan to increase the cost of going to court and increase sentences for reoffenders, the head of the national judges association NVVR told the AD on Thursday.

Justice minister Ivo Opstelten plans to increase the minimum tariff for a civil case from €71 to €125.
Reinier van Zutphen told the paper citizens will soon no longer be able to afford justice. ‘Once the unscrupulous realise people can’t afford to go to court, they will take advantage and justice in our society will be damaged,’ he said.
Van Zutphen says increasing sentences for reoffenders is unnecessary. It will apply particularly to reoffenders in murder and manslaughter cases where judges already give heavier sentences.
A number of judges have already resigned because of the plan, says Van Zutphen, and many others are threatening to do the same. ‘This is on top of the shortage of judges caused by the greying of the population,’ he said.