prof. mr. dr. K.J. (Kars) de Graaf

Kars de Graaf is professor of Public Law and Sustainability at the Department of Constitutional Law, Administrative Law & Public Administration.

At the Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning & Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations he has been appointed as the first Government Commissioner for the Environment and Planning Act.

Kars started at the University of Groningen in 1999 as a PhD candidate, defended his PhD on 2 December 2004 on a comparative law study into the possibilities and consequences of settlements in administrative law proceedings. On 2 December 2022 he held his inaugural lecture as a professor of Public Law and Sustainability.

Kars de Graaf is member of the editorial board for a (Dutch) Journal for Environmental Law (TO) and a (Dutch) journal of administrative law (JBplus). He is also an honorary judge in the District Court for the North of the Netherlands (since 1 January 2024 not in environmental law cases). In the past he was a member of the board and the chair of the VMR, the Dutch Association of Environmental Law, and a member of the board of the VAR, the Dutch Association of Administrative Law.

Kars provides courses for professionals at the Grotius Academy (General administrative law) and for the independent joint training institute of the Dutch judicial system (General administrative law and the liability of public authorities) and regularly provides training, talks and courses for professionals.