NRGD Annual plan 2025

Updating Standards

Forensic Psychiatry, Psychology, and Orthopedagogy (FPPO)

The quality requirements are up-to-date and align with the consensus in the field. For the assessment of applications for (re)registration, the NRGD uses the guidelines of the Dutch Psychiatric Association. The NRGD is actively involved in the working group ‘for guidelines of the Dutch Psychiatric Association’. The NRGD is continuously working on developing the assessment methods to increase the uniformity and transparency of assessments, and improving efficiency. Additionally, the NRGD is focused on improving the quality of experts by maintaining dialogue with relevant partners. The NRGD recognises the shortage of Pro Justitia reporters and understands the importance of registering as many experts as possible. Newly trained experts can enter the register without double assessments - if their training programme is accredited by the NRGD after external evaluation. The NRGD will offer tailored solutions where possible when it comes to re-registration.

DNA

The number of registered experts performing DNA research at activity level is limited. For a robust register with sufficient (contra-)experts, the NRGD is always looking to recruit more experts. The focus in this area is on recruiting more (international) experts in DNA Activity Level. In 2025, the NRGD plans to organise an Intervision workshop on DNA Activity Level at the EAFS, where experts can learn from each other and receive feedback on their work. This workshop will also be accessible to users of the register (judges, public prosecutors, and lawyers) to learn more about DNA Activity Level and how to assess such reports. This will help increase user knowledge of these reports and allow experts to improve quality - based on feedback from users. Ultimately, the NRGD hopes to encourage more experts to apply for registration.

Forensic Medical Research (FMO)

The FMO field has been working on improving the quality of its experts and the reports produced. The NRGD will closely monitor changes in this field. It also aims to have the NSPOH Forensic Medicine study visited and possibly accredited so that doctors in training can be registered once they graduate.

Gunshot Residue (GSR)

At the end of 2022, the area of expertise Gunshot Residue (GSR) was opened. The registration of experts proceeded slowly. In 2025, the key experts will have been assessed. An evaluation will determine whether the Standards, possibly in conjunction with the Weapons and Ammunition Standards, needs updating.

Handwriting Examination

Handwriting examination was one of the first areas of expertise to open in the NRGD. In 2025, further investments will be made in building an (inter)national network to enhance the pool of experts and assessors. Special attention will be given to attracting Dutch-speaking assessors and experts. Some experts are retiring, and in order to keep their knowledge and expertise in handwriting examination, the influence of the Public Prosecution Service and Ministry of Justice will also be required.

Forensic Weapon and Ammunition Investigation (and Gunshot Residue Examination)

These two areas currently exist separately within the NRGD, with a grey area in their body of knowledge. In the coming year, work will be done to clarify the boundaries of these fields, which could allow more experts to apply for registration. The NRGD will continue to expand its (inter)national network of experts and assessors, focusing on those who can act as contra-experts.

Weapons & Ammunition Law Assessment

This is a relatively small area within the NRGD, but it is highly complex and detailed. An expert must have extensive technical knowledge of weapons, as well as legal expertise. Currently, only one expert is registered in this field, and their retirement is imminent. While the necessary knowledge is available in the Netherlands, it is spread across several individuals. In 2025, the NRGD will further explore how to ensure this knowledge remains available for legal parties, potentially through an alternative assessment method, or splitting the area into two or more sub-areas.

Forensic Psychology

In the past year, significant effort has gone into expanding the (inter)national network and the pool of assessors in this area. A start has been made on revising the Standards and the corresponding advisory assessment form to clarify, for example, the required scientific basis for expert reports. This revision will be completed in 2025, after which the updated Standards will come into effect. Additionally, the NRGD will again participate in the annual European Association of Psychology and Law (EAPL) conference, where a follow-up to the roundtable session - organised by the NRGD in 2023 - may take place.

Forensic Financial Investigation (FFI)

The NRGD notes that the complexity and frequency of financial crimes are increasing, requiring ever-higher levels of specialisation and quality assurance. The NRGD intends to expand the register and assessor pool in the coming year. Multiple registration applications have been received, with more expected each quarter. However, the assessment process has not yet begun due to a lack of expert assessors. The NRGD is working on recruiting new assessors through direct outreach, by contacting the NBA (Dutch Professional Association for Accountants), and expanding our current network. Given that many cases are also relevant to civil law, expanding the register to include Civil and Administrative Law could allow this field to grow. During the most recent assessments, both the Standards and the Assessment Form were found to be up to date, although revision will continue in the coming year.

Forensic Pathology

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) now uses not only the NFI (Netherlands Forensic Institute), but also increasingly uses TMFI/Eurofins, particularly in Forensic Pathology. In 2025, the focus will be on expanding the pool of assessors and finding more (contra-)experts.

Digital Forensic Investigation (DFO)

On 27th August 2024, a meeting was organised with various partners and stakeholders. The aim of the meeting was to update the Standards, specifically focusing on the subfields currently included under DFI, in line with developments in the respective fields of knowledge. Currently, there are six subfields, although, for instance, AI is not yet included. This issue was discussed with researchers from the NFI, commercial parties, foreign assessors, judges, legal advisors, forensic experts, and the Digital Public Prosecutor. The NRGD will investigate the feasibility of reducing the number of subfields to provide greater clarity for users. It is expected that the revised Standards will be presented at an international conference in 2025.

In addition to the aforementioned parties, two representatives from CITO also participated in the meeting. The NRGD has observed a significant decline in NFI reports, as more research is being conducted by the police. This means that the required number of reports for review are currently barely being met. Therefore, the NRGD aims to implement an alternative assessment method, with the assistance of CITO, where reports will no longer form the main focus. Whether this is feasible will become clear in 2025.

Criminal Law Course for Foreign Assessors

The last Criminal Law course for foreign assessors was organised in 2023. The NRGD aims to organise another course in Q1 or Q2 of 2025, provided there are enough new foreign assessors. This will align with the intention to organise the course every 18 months.

New Areas of Expertise

Bloodstain Pattern Analysis (BPA)

Bloodstains have played a significant role in police investigations for a long time, and since the 1950s, bloodstain pattern analysis (BPA) has been applied using biology, fluid dynamics, and mathematics. In the last 15 years, scientific foundations have been established, prompting the NRGD to standardise the field of expertise. In 2024, work commenced on opening the BPA area, identifying assessors, and testing experts. In 2025, BPA will be added to the register and opened for applications. The first applications will likely be reviewed in the first quarter of 2025, and we expect the first BPA experts being added to the register shortly after.

Forensic Radiology

In 2024, the standardisation of the Forensic Radiology area began. Together with a committee of seven (inter)national experts, significant work has been done on the first version of the Standards. A public consultation of this concept is expected to take place in early 2025. The annual conference of the International Society of Forensic Radiology and Imaging (ISFRI) provides a good opportunity to present the standards internationally. The NRGD aims to open the area for registration after a pilot in the third quarter of 2025.

The NRGD will continue its efforts in 2025 regarding the (re)registration of experts in criminal cases. This includes processing applications for (re)registration in both standardised and new areas of expertise. In 2025, approximately 148 re-registration applications are expected. Around 25 newly trained experts, who will be entering through NIFP certification, are also expected. Additionally, the NRGD anticipates that - through the recognition policy - newly trained experts working at the NFI, will be able to enter with an administrative review. Including expected initial registrations outside the recognition policy, the total number of (re)registration applications is expected to be close to 190.

Administrative and Civil Law

There is no clear separation of forensic expertise between criminal law and administrative and civil law. Forensic knowledge is used across various legal domains, such as handwriting, digital investigations, kinship analysis, or forensic financial investigations.

For formal expansion into administrative and civil law, statutory regulation is required. This discussion has been ongoing for many years. In 2023, the judiciary submitted an Integral Assessment Framework (IAK) expressing the desire to create similar quality assurances for experts in administrative and civil law as currently exists in criminal law. This development has been supported by the administrative department. A decision is expected in 2025.

Mediation

In this context, it is also important to mention that the Ministry of Justice and Security has asked the NRGD to explore the possibility of including mediators in its register, given its experience in establishing and maintaining quality standards. This development fits into the move towards a quality register for the entire judiciary. The recognition policy (see section 2.4) has proven to be a suitable instrument for assessing and overseeing quality assurance systems. This also means that, in this context, statutory regulation must be considered, aligning with the expansion into administrative and civil law.

In 2023, the NRGD signed an agreement with the NFI to recognise the NFI’s training programme. Recognition of the training by the NRGD provides benefits to both the NFI and the NRGD. The dual assessment, comprising the NFI’s examination to qualify for expert certification and the NRGD's assessment, will be streamlined into a single review. The assessment will occur at the NFI, with a dedicated expert representing the NRGD on the examination committee. In the fourth quarter of 2023, an independent visitation committee evaluated the NFI's training and examination processes for the fields of DNA and forensic pathology. In 2024, Forensic Medical Investigation, Toxicology, Drugs, Gunshot Residues, and Weapons and Ammunition followed. In 2025, Digital Forensic Investigation will also be included. All areas currently available at the NRGD, and visited by the NFI, will be covered.

In 2025, the NRGD will also look at the areas of expertise at the NFI that are not yet included in the NRGD register, such as Bloodstain Pattern Analysis, Glass Analysis, Explosions and Explosive Investigations, etc. Additionally, the first feedback meetings with the appointees for various NFI areas will be organised. The NRGD will also organise feedback meetings with appointees sitting on the examination committee for the pro Justitia training at the NIFP.

When it comes to the legal process, the register (in line with the wishes of the Minister and the House of Representatives) aims to offer a broad range of experts. In the Dutch context, this means that the NRGD includes experts from diverse employers in its register. The number of experts from private providers is growing slowly but steadily. It is important that, for those experts who fall under the law, there is also a requirement to register with the NRGD, ensuring the quality of these experts for the judiciary. Particularly in smaller fields, such as Handwriting Examination, but also in areas focused on the Dutch legal practice (e.g., weapons and ammunition law, and gunshot residues), additional efforts are needed to ensure a sufficient number of experts can be registered. See the actions the NRGD plans to take regarding these areas in section 2.1.

The purpose of the legislative proposal for strengthening the safeguard function of the General Administrative Law Act, is to create more room for the human aspect in public service delivery. The NRGD supports this goal. We already carry out our services in accordance with the proposal's requirements, such as providing customization, leniency, and a full reconsideration during the objection procedure. The current General Administrative Law Act already allows for this. However, the proposal unnecessarily formalises some steps for small organizations like the NRGD, which are not involved in finance or social security. This could lead to unrealistic expectations from the target group, resulting in disappointment, prolonged decision-making, additional complaints and legal actions.

The proposal is fundamentally implementable for the NRGD, though work processes and policies may need adjustments to meet the new requirements. The informal objection procedure, however, is less feasible for the NRGD due to the substantive assessment involved in registration requests and will require further definition through a policy rule. The proposal also places specific demands on the nature of the contact between citizens and government. For the NRGD, this refers to both experts applying for registration and citizens, lawyers, and judicial authorities. This will mean that structural capacity improvements are needed to enhance workflows and communication, as well as budget for continuous training and education for existing and new staff.

Judicial experts increasingly face improper treatment, intimidation, and threats. The Ministry has allocated funding to strengthen the resilience of judicial experts and raise awareness. The NRGD is collaborating with other expert organizations, such as the LRGD, STAB, NIVRE, NFI, and NIFP.

For expert areas not yet included in the register, the NRGD offers guidance on improving the quality of expert involvement in the judiciary. In 2020, the NRGD published five tools on its website to improve the quality of reports from experts who rarely or never report in criminal cases. One key instrument is "Report Feedback", where an experienced NRGD assessor reads through the expert's report to check for consistency and clarity. Since September 2020, 25 requests for report feedback have been received up to August 2024.

The NRGD will continue to offer report feedback in 2025. Additionally, we are exploring how and whether the Ad Hoc instruments can be applied across Europe. Many (non-forensic) specialists are still being invited from abroad to report in the judiciary. The NRGD aims to expand the Ad Hoc project at a European level to ensure expertise can also be found outside the Netherlands, while considering language barriers and differences in legal systems.

The European Expertise & Expert Institute (EEEI), initially a French initiative, is working towards a European register of experts. For the first phase, they received funding from Brussels. However, the Netherlands did not support this, as the criteria for inclusion in the register were unclear. A decision by the EEEI in December 2023 confirmed these concerns. The EEEI does not set forensic professional requirements, making their expert directory little more than an equivalent of the ‘yellow pages’, which misleadingly suggests these individuals are qualified experts. The NRGD will continue to raise awareness on this issue.

For several years, the Ministry of Justice and Security has been working on the modernisation of the Code of Criminal Procedure (hereafter CCP). Following a consultation round, the current expert system is also being reviewed. A first version was published in 2022. At present (August 2024), a new draft is available. The following two proposed adjustments are particularly relevant for the NRGD.

Article 1.7.5, paragraph 3, of the draft proposal states that:

rules on reporting of investigations can be established through a general administrative measure

This could lead to quality improvements, provided the appropriate rules are set.

A second proposal is about the Public Prosecutor appointment for DNA research. The NRGD advocates for a clear distinction between factual research and research requiring interpretation. Under current law, this distinction is not made, and research at the activity level can be conducted by non-registered experts. The NRGD already includes sufficient experts doing research at activity level, and the proposal seeks to ensure that this research falls under the appointment regime. The explanatory memorandum states that:

the appointment regime applies to kinship research, research into outwardly observable characteristics, and activity level

Forensic ISO standards are expected to be published in early 2025. These have been developed over several years by an international working group from various countries such as the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan, Australia, and others. In the Netherlands, the Public Prosecution Service (OM), NFI, NRGD, and the Police have been intensively involved. This will be the first time that standards for forensic work have been established. The reason for this is that existing ISO standards were not created with specific forensic aspects in mind. Standards will be introduced for crime scenes, analysis, interpretation, and reporting. These standards will be mandatory if referenced by law. See also the statement above regarding the revision of the expert guidelines in the Code of Criminal Procedure.

The NRGD's vision calls for active quality promotion. The forensic chain is of great importance in this regard, as each partner plays a role in quality assurance. Currently, these partners often operate in isolation, which makes it important to seek collaboration both bilaterally and across the entire chain, respecting everyone's role.

In collaboration with Maastricht University, a study was conducted on the use of experts by the defence in criminal cases. The research revealed that, despite the 2010 Expert Law in Criminal Cases, defence lawyers still face difficulties in utilizing experts. Furthermore, experts are often unaware of the role and responsibilities of the NRGD. In 2025, the NRGD aims to explore ways to increase awareness of its role and improve accessibility for the legal profession.

It is crucial for the NRGD to stay informed about developments in its respective areas, maintain relationships with current assessors, and establish new connections with experts. The NRGD continues to raise awareness of quality assurance through presentations and abstracts. In 2025, the NRGD will actively engage with the field, by speaking at forensic conferences - such as the European EAFS conference, the worldwide IAFS, and IABPA events - participating in project teams, providing guest lectures, and hosting lunch meetings with the judiciary and legal community. Additionally, we are considering organizing an NRGD symposium in September 2025 focused on changes within the forensic field.

The NRGD will continue the evaluation and development of several processes that started in 2023, as part of ongoing self-reflection. By 2025, a more efficient and effective method of assessing the first areas of expertise will have been developed, with a foundation laid in collaboration with CITO.

In terms of information management, the NRGD is subject to legal obligations based on - among others - the Archives Act, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Public Access to Government Information Act (Woo), the Digital Government Act (Wdo), the Digital Accessibility Act, and the Baseline Information Security for Government (BIO). In 2024, the NRGD carried out a maturity assessment and currently scores a 2 on a scale of 1 to 4. The goal for 2025 is to achieve maturity level 3. To do so, the NRGD will focus on strengthening information awareness among all staff, developing policies, and establishing frameworks to make information more accessible

The NRGD now operates exclusively digitally, meaning it only has a digital archive. The storage and destruction of case files (primary process) is automated at the NRGD – including a four-eyes principle – based on the Selection List established in 2023. Additionally, the NRGD will begin the automated organisation of documents destined for the National Archives. These include documents underlying administrative decision-making on policy and organisational structure.

In the area of privacy management, the NRGD consistently scores a level 3 in maturity (on a scale of 1 to 5). The NRGD handles requests for access to personal data efficiently and promptly. One of the policy officers also acts as the privacy officer. The externally appointed Data Protection Officer reports to the College every two years.

The NRGD actively publishes information on its own website and links to the Register of Government Organisations, as required by the Woo. The NRGD handles information requests efficiently and in a timely manner. One of the policy officers also performs the role of Woo officer. The communications officer hired by the NRGD takes on the role of ROO officer.

After the back office and application processes, the NRGD will begin rolling out the ‘My NRGD’ portal in 2025 - allowing applicants to submit their application, communicate with the NRGD, and track the status of their application and/or registration in real-time. In 2024, the development of the ‘My NRGD’ portal will be completed, and integration with DigiD will be realised. Consequently, administrative tasks such as identity verification and address changes will decrease.

Currently, the NRGD spends approximately 4% of its budget on translation costs. As it expands into more areas, these costs are expected to rise. The NRGD is also examining how public funds can be used more efficiently. In this context, in 2025, the NRGD, in collaboration with Datalab JenV, will explore the possibility of using AI to translate expert reports submitted for assessment. The estimated investment cost for this is 75,000 euros. The aim is to launch and implement the product by 1 January 2026. The forecast is that the investment will be recouped by the end of 2027.

The NRGD website is hosted via the Government of the Netherlands Online Platform and is connected to the national web archiving solution, which fully complies with the set internet standards. In 2024, the NRGD will continue to meet these requirements. This also applies to the NRGD email addresses.

The case management system is configured to comply with data governance and data management requirements. Retention and destruction periods are implemented in the case management system according to the established Selection List of the Board of Court Experts.

The NRGD procures its workplace via SSC-ICT and operates on the secured Justice network. The NRGD uses applications that meet the prescribed security and privacy standards, regularly checks whether these applications and providers still comply, and connects to national solutions where possible. Applications are only accessible via the secure Justice network (IP-restricted access), and traffic is monitored 24/7 by the SSC-ICT Security Operations Centre (SOC). Access to applications follow the established authorisation policy.