News item | 06-03-2026 | 4:00 PM
At the Common Court of Justice, Mr. HL (Henk) Wattel, Mr. E. (Eric) Diepraam and Mr. Colonel of the Marines WFJ (Frank) Ramakers was appointed as a (military) member. The Kingdom Council of Ministers has approved the nomination for the appointments on the proposal of State Secretary Van Bruggen of Justice and Security. The appointments of Mr. Wattel and Mr. Diepraam will take effect on April 1, 2026. The appointment of Mr. Ramakers will take effect on the day the Royal Decree is signed. This appointment is also at the proposal of Defense Minister Yeşilgöz-Zegerius.
Mr. Wattel will become a judge in civil cases based in Bonaire. He now works as a judge at the Arnhem-Leeuwarden Court of Appeal and is deputy chairman of the Regional Disciplinary Board for Healthcare in Zwolle. He is also a lecturer at the Judicial Study Center of the Judiciary and the Public Prosecution Service. He is also already an alternate member of the Common Court of Justice. He was also a member of the Common Court of Justice for a previous period, based in Curaçao, and he worked as a judge at the District Court of The Hague.
Mr. Diepraam will be a judge in criminal cases based in Aruba. He is currently a judge in the Amsterdam District Court and a lecturer at the Judicial Study Center of the Judiciary and the Public Prosecution Service.
Mr. Ramakers is appointed as a military member of the multiple military appeal chamber. Since July 2025, he has been Deputy Commander of the Navy in the Caribbean. The military chamber of the Common Court handles appeals in military cases for all branches of the armed forces: army, air force, military police and navy. The military chamber also handles military disciplinary cases.
The Common Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba administers justice on the islands. The judges at the Common Court of Justice hear civil cases, criminal cases and administrative cases (including tax cases), both at first instance and on appeal. The Common Court is also involved in special courts of law (such as for civil service matters) and in boards charged with disciplinary proceedings. The Court consists of locally employed judges and expatriate judges.
