On Thursday December 14, 2023, the Dutch KBvG (Koninklijke Beroepsorganisatie van Gerechtsdeurwaarders – Royal professional organisation of judicial officers) celebrated its 150th anniversary.
The profession of judicial officer has of course been around for much longer. Similar functions were already described in Roman Law. However, the current judicial officer’s profession originated in the Middle Ages. Philip the Fair created the sergents, officials charged with the enforcement of civil court judgments. In the centuries that followed, various rulers appointed special officials to collect debts. The judicial officer has undergone enormous evolution and is – fortunately – no longer the judicial officer as we used to know it.
But back to the history of the KBvG. It all started on December 14, 1873, when the ‘Association of Bailiffs at the various legal colleges in the Netherlands’ was founded.
What started as an Association of Bailiffs has now grown into a professional organization that is at the heart of society. With the ambition that is still alive today: standing stronger together to ensure that justice takes its course.
The lustrum was celebrated with a beautiful symposium and a dinner.
On this occasion, Marc Schmitz, UIHJ president, was delighted to present the UIHJ crystal trophee to KBvG president Chris Bakhuis-van Kesteren, as well as a selection of UIHJ publications to H.E. Franc Weerwind, minister for legal protection of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
