Results
The final adoption of the budget by government and parliament is the result of a broader political consideration. In addition to the interests of the organizations that serve the rule of law, broader financial-economic policy also plays a role. This has led to downward and upward fluctuations in the budgets in the period 2010-2020. These changes have led to problems for the police, the public prosecution service and the judiciary.

Funding can focus more than now on the criminal justice system as a whole and on broader societal benefits and goals such as crime prevention.

The main recommendations are:

  • Match the method of funding to the cost structure of the organizations.
  • Apply an adaptive mix of fixed funding with changing input or output funding.
  • In all changes, take into account the nature and characteristics of the organizations.
  • Ensure that system effects and intended societal outcomes are also reflected in the funding structure.

The research
This research was prompted by a motion by Member of Parliament Rosenmöller and others, passed by the Dutch Senate. This motions asked the government to conduct research into ways to safeguard continuity in the funding of  the police, the public prosecution service and the judiciary.

Methods
Using desk research and interviews, funding rules, cutbacks and extra expenditure in the period 2010 – 2020 were mapped out. Also, theoretical advantages and disadvantages of funding systems were researched. A brief international comparison and cases studies of similar organizations were also carried out.