Piet Hein Donner
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Jan Pieter Hendrik Donner (born 20 October 1948 in Amsterdam) was Dutch Minister of Justice in the third Balkenende cabinet as member of the Dutch Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA). He previously served as Minister of Justice in the second and first Balkenende cabinet and was member of the Dutch Council of State.
The Donner family is one of justices. Piet Hein Donner's father, André Donner, was a judge of the European Court of Justice in the period 1958-1979 and was part of the government commission that looked into the dealings of Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands with the Lockheed Corporation. His grandfather was Jan Donner, who served as Minister of Justice for the Anti Revolutionary Party in the first cabinet of Dirk Jan de Geer and was later president of the Hoge Raad, the supreme body of judiciary review in the Netherlands.
Piet Hein Donner studied law at the Free University of Amsterdam, obtaining a degree in 1974.
In 2006 Piet Hein Donner recorded a rap song together with Meester G to explain his point of view on the Dutch soft drug policy.[1] It was a reply to a song by mayor Gerd Leers of Maastricht (with punk band The Heideroosjes), who asks for a more progressive policy which would not only regulate the selling of soft drugs, but also legalise the production.
On September 13, 2006, Donner was the subject of controversy when he suggested Islamic law could be established in the Netherlands by democratic means. He responded by a clarification that he was not advocating such a scenario but warning against it. [2] That same month, a report of the investigative commission into a fire at a Schiphol jail was released, condemning Dutch government officials.[3] Donner, as responsible justice minister, resigned in aftermath of the report's conclusions.[4] His successor is Ernst Hirsch Ballin, who was already justice minister in the third Lubbers cabinet.[5]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Benk Korthals |
Dutch Minister of Justice 2002–2006 |
Succeeded by: Ernst Hirsch Ballin |
[edit] References
- ^ 'Don' Donner rapt de dope van straat, Nu.nl, February 25, 2006
- ^ Netherlands: Minister Warns Islamic Law Could Happen Via Democracy, Western Resistance, September 13, 2006
- ^ Official failings led to deaths in Schiphol fire - report, Expatica, September 21, 2006
- ^ Dutch ministers quit over blaze, BBC News, September 21, 2006
- ^ Hirsch Ballin en Winsemius volgen ministers op, Elsevier, September 22, 2005
