Sietske Dijkstra appointed professor by special appointment of Judiciary and Rule of Law

Dr Sietske Dijkstra will be appointed professor by special appointment of Judiciary and the Rule of Law at the Faculty of Law on 1 February 2026. The chair has been established by the District Court of Northern Netherlands.

Challenges for the judiciary and the rule of law

The rule of law and the independent judiciary as a pillar of that rule of law are under pressure. Not only the structure of the rule of law, but also its basic principles are the subject of heated social and political debate.

The judiciary has to deal with the necessary criticism. Abroad, this has taken extreme forms, but in the Netherlands too, for example, court rulings are dismissed as “just an opinion”. Criticism of the rule of law in particular is not easy to respond to. This is all the more problematic because this sentiment has a considerable impact on public debate and on perceptions of the judiciary and the rule of law.

In this climate, the judiciary faces the challenge of how best to safeguard and strengthen its position. Scientific research can help the judiciary in this regard. In addition to a legal science perspective, a multidisciplinary approach is also relevant. After all, the rule of law is only viable if it is supported by society, by the people.

Raising awareness

Insights into human behaviour, such as those found in the behavioural and social sciences, are therefore important. The chair hopes to contribute to the development of ideas in this area.

The chair also aims to raise awareness of the significance of the rule of law among students and to promote the importance of the rule of law to the outside world.

The position also builds a bridge between the District Court of Northern Netherlands and the University of Groningen. This further deepens the existing collaboration between the two organisations.

Background

Sietske Dijkstra holds this position in addition to her appointment as senior judge at the District Court of Northern Netherlands. She currently works as a judge in family law, but has also worked in administrative law and commercial law.

In addition to her work as a judge, Sietske has been publishing articles on judges, their rights and professional ethics since 2013. In 2016, she wrote her dissertation on the scope judges have to express their personal opinions and beliefs.

With English-language publications, including a book in 2023, she has also joined the European debate on the freedom of expression of judges, a topic that has become a topical issue in Europe due to political and social developments. In that context, she also entered into dialogue with fellow judges who do their work in difficult circumstances.