Johannes "Jos" Silvis (born 14 November 1953) is a Dutch law professor and judge. He was a judge at the European Court of Human Rights from 1 November 2012 through 1 September 2016. He subsequently became attorney general at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands.
Jos Silvis | |
|---|---|
| Attorney General of the Supreme Court of the Netherlands | |
| Assumed office 1 September 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Jan Watse Fokkens |
| Judge of the European Court of Human Rights | |
| In office 1 November 2012 – 1 September 2016 | |
| Preceded by | Egbert Myjer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 14 November 1953 Winschoten, Netherlands |
| Alma mater | Erasmus University Rotterdam |
Biography
editSilvis was born in 1953 in Winschoten. He obtained a bachelor's degree in law from Erasmus University Rotterdam in 1977. By 1979, he had obtained a master's degree in penal and constitutional law. Between 1980 and 1993 he was a lecturer at the faculty of law of Utrecht University.[1]
Between 1994 and 2001 Silvis was judge and later vice-president of the court of Rotterdam. In 2001, he moved to the High Court of Appeal in The Hague, where he served until 2010 with a two-year hiatus between 2003 and 2005 as judge and vice-president. During his hiatus he worked for the Committee on Criminal Procedure and Legislation of the Dutch Ministry of Justice.[1] He was Advocate-General to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands between 2010 and 2012.[1]
European Court of Human Rights
editOn 26 June 2012 a vote was held by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on the new judge to the European Court of Human Rights. Silvis was one of the three nominees, the others being Taru Spronken and Adriana van Dooijeweert. In the first round of voting Silvis obtained 61 votes, Spronken 85 and Van Dooijeweert 58. As no candidate reached the required majority of 103 votes a second round of voting was held on 27 June. A relative majority was enough to be elected this time, Silvis obtained 59 votes, Spronken 57 and Van Dooijeweert 38. Hereby Silvis was elected.[2][3] On 1 November 2012 he succeeded Egbert Myjer.[2]
The election of Silvis to the court was criticized by fellow Dutch jurists as Silvis was the presiding judge on the Schiedammer parkmoord, one of the largest miscarriages of justice in Dutch history.[4]
Silvis resigned per 1 September 2016 to become attorney general at the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, he succeeded Jan Watse Fokkens.[5][6]
References
edit- ^ a b c "Composition of the Court". European Court of Human Rights. 1 January 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ^ a b "Verkiezing Johannes Silvis tot rechter in het Europese Hof voor de Rechten van de Mens" (in Dutch). Nederlands Juristen Comité voor de Mensenrechten. 1 July 2012. Archived from the original on 3 September 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ^ "PACE elects Johannes Silvis judge of the European Court of Human Rights in respect of the Netherlands". Council of Europe. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ^ Marcel Haenen (28 June 2012). "Kritiek op nieuwe Nederlandse rechter mensenrechtenhof". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 16 February 2015.
- ^ "Ministerraad draagt Jos Silvis voor als nieuwe PG bij de Hoge Raad" (in Dutch). Rechtspraak.nl. 4 March 2016. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
- ^ Folkert Jensma (5 March 2016). "'Strafrechters zijn niet onfeilbaar'". NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch). Retrieved 6 December 2016.