News item | 18-12-2025 | 2:00 PM
Various laws in the field of Justice and Security will come into effect on January 1, 2025. Below is an overview.
Reimbursements for pro Justitia rapporteurs will be increased from 1 January
The compensation for pro-Justice reporters, psychiatrists and psychologists who prepare behavioral reports in criminal cases will increase. Rates will increase by 9 percent from 2026. In addition, rapporteurs may declare more hours: three additional hours from 2026 and four from 2027. The current shortage of rapporteurs sometimes causes delays in the criminal justice chain. With these increases, the ministry is taking a new step to reduce this.
Strengthening the criminal law approach to undermining crime
From January 1, 2026, the law will change to better combat organized and subversive crime. With the new rules, the police and the judiciary can tackle criminals harder and faster. An important innovation is that it will become a criminal offense to build a hidden space in a vehicle to complicate police investigations, for example to transport drugs or money. The penalties for various crimes are also being toughened and the maximum fines are being increased. Finally, rules surrounding the recusal of judges will be adjusted so that criminal cases are less likely to be delayed. This change in the law is part of a larger program with which the government wants to further strengthen the fight against organized crime.
The Copyright Contract Law Act is being strengthened
The Copyright Contract Law Strengthening Act will come into effect on January 1, 2026. This law ensures that creators and performers, such as writers, musicians and filmmakers, are better protected when they enter into a contract with companies that exploit their work, such as publishers, record companies and film producers. The law states that agreements about using and earning from a creative work must be in writing if one operator wants to have the exclusive right. If the operator subsequently does not or hardly uses the work, the creator can more easily terminate the contract and regain the rights. Makers may organize themselves and negotiate with operators about the agreements and the compensation they receive. Making collective agreements between makers and operators is encouraged. For example, filmmakers and producers have already made agreements with the field about compensation for on-demand exploitation. These changes ensure that creators and performers have more control over their work and are paid fairly for what they create.
Reduction of statutory interest to 4 percent from 1 January
With effect from January 1, 2026, the statutory interest will be reduced from 6% to 4%. Unpaid claims may be increased with statutory interest. Citizens with claims receive statutory interest as compensation. Citizens in debt pay statutory interest as compensation if they do not pay. The statutory interest is also part of the maximum credit compensation that may be charged for borrowing money, overdrafting and purchasing on installments. With the decrease in the statutory interest rate, this maximum credit compensation decreases to 12%. The statutory interest is calculated every six months based on the ECB interest rate. The reduction in the ECB interest rate is the reason why the statutory interest rate also falls by 2 percentage points.
Increase amounts for alimony by 4.6 percent in 2026
As of January 1, 2026, the amounts for subsistence (alimony) will be increased by 4.6%. These amounts are indexed every year with a certain percentage. Alimony is the obligation that different people have to support each other, such as (ex) spouses, (ex) registered partners and parents with children under the age of 21. The law prescribes that the increase in alimony must be equal to the average increase in wages in the Netherlands for that year. The Central Bureau of Statistics calculates this average.
Annual indexation of minimum compensation to interpreters
Since July 1, 2020, interpreters receive a minimum hourly rate that is indexed annually. The indexation percentage is based on the CBS index figure for collective labor agreement wages, contractual wage costs and working hours including special rewards. As of January 1, 2026, the minimum hourly rate will be increased from 62.66 euros to 64.66 euros per hour. This is an increase of 3.197 percent.