Frequently asked questions

You can easily find an expert by selecting “Find an expert” on our website. You can search by surname and/or field of expertise. The search results display the expert’s name, field of expertise, and contact details.

Registration in the NRGD is formal recognition of your expertise. Because your details are published in the Register, you are more easily found by potential commissioning parties, increasing your chances of being appointed as an expert.

In addition, the Netherlands Public Prosecution Service can appoint you directly. In criminal proceedings, the requirement to provide reasons for appointing an expert does not apply when the expert is registered in the NRGD.

Experts registered in the NRGD have been independently assessed for quality, integrity and professional competence. You can therefore be confident that they are qualified in their field. When you appoint a registered expert, the legal requirement to provide reasons for that appointment does not apply, saving time and effort. The Register also helps you quickly find a suitable expert and contributes to the quality of the justice system.

The NRGD continuously works to standardise as many fields of expertise as possible. However, this is only feasible when there is sufficient demand, the field of expertise is clearly defined, and shared standards are available for assessing quality. Not all fields of expertise meet these conditions. For fields that cannot yet be standardised, the NRGD has developed ad hoc instruments. These provide guidance to help ensure the quality of expert involvement in the justice system, even where no register of experts is available.

For each field of expertise, our website provides an overview of the registration requirements, information about the required documents, and the application form.

Yes. Foreign experts can apply for registration with the NRGD. This expands the pool of available experts and increases the opportunities to obtain a second opinion.

Yes. To process your application, the NRGD requires a Certificate of Conduct or an equivalent document issued by the relevant authority in your country of residence. The certificate or equivalent document must have been issued no more than three months before it is received by the NRGD.

No. You do not need to provide references. The checklist included in the application procedure specifies which documents and information you are required to submit.

Yes. However, you must submit a separate application form for each field or subfield. You must also provide the required supporting documents for each application. In some cases, a single report may be submitted for multiple subfields if it covers all of them. The applicable conditions are set out in the Standards for the relevant field of expertise.

Continued professional development (CPD) includes all learning and development activities that contribute to maintaining and enhancing the knowledge and skills required to perform the role of a court expert in a competent and professional manner. As part of your application, you must provide details of the time you have spent on professional development activities. The required number of hours is specified in the Standards for the relevant field of expertise.

After receiving your application, the NRGD appoints an independent Advisory Committee for Assessments. The committee normally consists of two peer experts and one judicial expert. When appointing the committee, the NRGD takes any potential objections to the composition of the committee into account. The committee assesses your application and submits its advice to the Board of Court Experts. If the committee requires additional information, it may ask you to provide further documentation or invite you to attend an oral assessment. The Board of Court Experts then decides on your application, taking the committee’s advice into account.

The Advisory Committee for Assessments normally consists of two peer assessors and one judicial assessor. The NRGD aims to appoint peer assessors who are also registered with the NRGD, although registration is not a requirement for assessors. An overview of the assessors is available on the webpage for the relevant field of expertise.

The assessment procedure takes, on average, three to four months. The exact duration may vary, for example if there are objections to the composition of the Advisory Committee for Assessments or if the committee requires additional information, such as further documentation or an oral assessment.

If you apply for re-registration, you remain registered with the NRGD throughout the assessment procedure. You may continue your work as an appointed expert while awaiting the Board’s decision.

You may be invited to attend an oral assessment if the Advisory Committee for Assessments does not yet have a sufficiently complete picture of your knowledge, skills and competencies based on the submitted documentation. An invitation to an oral assessment does not automatically mean that your application will be rejected.

A conditional registration is valid for two years. An unconditional registration is valid for five years.

There are two types of conditional registration.

A conditional registration – “customised" is granted when the Advisory Committee for Assessments identifies one or a few areas for improvement. You are registered for two years subject to specific conditions. To qualify for unconditional registration, you must demonstrate within those two years that you have met those conditions.

A conditional registration – "without work of their own" is granted when you have not yet produced the required number of independently produced expert reports. You are registered for two years on the condition that, during that period, you prepare and sign at least the required number of expert reports independently.

The public Register does not indicate whether an expert is registered conditionally or unconditionally.

Yes, but only in exceptional circumstances.

The Board of Court Experts may decide to grant a second conditional registration if the new condition relates to a different part of the relevant assessment criteria, or if you were unable to meet the previous condition(s) due to circumstances beyond your control.

Once you are registered, your name, field of expertise and the contact details you have provided are published on the NRGD website.

Your application for re-registration must be received by the NRGD no earlier than three months before, and no later than the day before, your registration expires. You will receive an email with further instructions approximately six months before your registration expires, followed by a reminder approximately two months before the expiry date. Please ensure that your contact details are up to date.

You may submit a notice of objection within six weeks of the date on which the decision was sent. Your objection will be considered by the Advisory Committee for Objections, which advises the Board of Court Experts. In principle, the Board will decide on your objection within twelve weeks. This period may be extended once by a further six weeks.

If you disagree with the Board’s decision on your objection, you may appeal to the administrative court. Submitting an objection or an appeal does not suspend the effect of the decision. This means that if your application for (re-)registration is rejected, you will not be registered as a court expert while your objection or appeal is being considered. If you wish to remain registered during that period, you can ask the judge for interim relief to grant an injunction.