Advisory Programme 2025
The Advisory Division of the Council for the Administration of Criminal Justice and Protection of Juveniles (referred to below as ‘the RSJ’) advises ministers at the ministry of Justice and Security and the ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, either on their request or on its own initiative, on the application and implementation of policy and legislation and regulations relating to the administration of criminal justice and the youth domain. In line with the mission and vision of the RSJ, the point of departure for his advices are the humane and legally correct treatment of offenders and juveniles. Central to this is the protection of their legal status, while also taking account of the safety of society and any victims and relatives. The RSJ’s advices are guided primarily by national law and the international framework for human rights and children's rights, along with the universal values and ethical principles on which they are based.
In November each year, the RSJ publishes an advisory programme for the following calendar year. In previous years that advisory programme included topics on which the RSJ advised following a request, as well as topics which the RSJ itself decided should be addressed. This year the RSJ has decided to put the advisory reports he provides without being requested separately in a multi-year programme. This means that the advisory programme which is now in front of you, only includes the topics the RSJ will work on in 2025 as a result of requests.
The topics the RSJ is going to advise on in 2025 on its own initiative will be included in the multi-year programme 2025-2028 which is to be published in early 2025. This will include, in any event, the already announced topic of ‘the position of women within the criminal justice system’. Three basic themes have been defined, under which topics can be added which are in line with the RSJ’s mission and vision. During an annual update, decisions will be taken regarding whether or not to add new topics to these three basic themes. In addition, current events may provide grounds for adding new topics to the (multi-annual) advisory programme in the interim. An up-to-date overview of all current advisory processes is always available on the RSJ’s website. This overview includes both advisory processes which have been initiated as a result of a request and those processes which the RSJ has initiated himself.
The RSJ will publish the next advisory programme in November 2025 and it will include requested topics and an announcement of the topics which are to be added to the multi-year programme.