Glossary
Dutch legal terminology used throughout RegelRecht, with English translations.
Legal Hierarchy
| Dutch | English | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Grondwet | Constitution | Supreme law of the Netherlands |
| Wet | Act / Law | Formal legislation passed by Parliament (Staten-Generaal) |
| Algemene Maatregel van Bestuur (AMvB) | Order in Council | Regulation by the Crown (government + King) |
| Ministeriële regeling | Ministerial regulation | Regulation issued by a minister |
| Verordening | Ordinance | Local regulation by municipalities or provinces |
Administrative Law (Bestuursrecht)
| Dutch | English | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Algemene wet bestuursrecht (Awb) | General Administrative Law Act | Framework law for government decision-making |
| Beschikking | Administrative decision | A decision by a government body affecting an individual |
| Aanvraag | Application | A request for a decision from a government body |
| Bezwaar | Objection | First recourse against a decision |
| Beroep | Appeal | Court appeal against an objection decision |
| Belanghebbende | Interested party | Person whose interests are directly affected |
Government Bodies
| Dutch | English | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bestuursorgaan | Administrative body | Any government body making decisions |
| Staten-Generaal | Parliament | Dutch legislature (Eerste + Tweede Kamer) |
| Tweede Kamer | House of Representatives | Lower house of Parliament |
| Eerste Kamer | Senate | Upper house of Parliament |
| Gemeente | Municipality | Local government |
| Belastingdienst | Tax Authority | National tax administration |
| SVB | Social Insurance Bank | Executes social insurance laws |
| UWV | Employee Insurance Agency | Executes employee insurance laws |
Legislative Process
| Dutch | English | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Memorie van Toelichting (MvT) | Explanatory Memorandum | Legislative intent document accompanying a bill |
| Wetsvoorstel | Bill | Proposed legislation before Parliament |
| Staatsblad | Official Gazette | Publication where laws are formally published |
| Inwerkingtreding | Entry into force | Date a law becomes effective |
Temporal Concepts
| Dutch | English | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Geldigheid | Validity | Period during which a law is in force |
| Peildatum | Reference date | Date at which conditions are evaluated |
| Terugwerkende kracht | Retroactive effect | Law applies to situations before its enactment |
RegelRecht-Specific Terms
| Term | Description |
|---|---|
| Corpus Juris | The git-versioned collection of all machine-readable Dutch laws |
| Machine-readable | The executable interpretation of a law article |
| Open term | A value in a higher law that is filled by a lower regulation |
| Implements | A lower regulation declaring it fills open terms of a higher law |
| Cross-law reference | A law referencing outputs from another law via source |