CHAPTER 4. ENFORCEMENT OF SENTENCES

§ 1. General

Section 55

Sentences imposed by the ICC by final decision may be enforced in the Netherlands at the request of the ICC and having regard to the provisions of this chapter.

Section 56

1. No pardon may be requested or granted in respect of sentences of imprisonment which have been imposed by the ICC for one or more of the crimes referred to in article 5 of the Statute and which are being enforced in the Netherlands. A request for reduction or remission of such a sentence shall be immediately referred by Our Minister to the ICC.
2. At the request of the ICC, Our Minister shall inform the ICC of his opinion on the review of a sentence as referred to in subsection 1, in accordance with article 110 of the Statute. For this purpose, Our Minister may request the advice from The Hague District Court and may request from third parties all information which he considers necessary.
3. A pardon may be requested and granted, in accordance with article 558 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, in respect of sentences of imprisonment which have been imposed by the ICC for offences against the administration of justice of the ICC as referred to in article 70, paragraph 1, of the Statute and in respect of other sentences imposed by the ICC if enforcement takes place in the Netherlands. Before a decision is taken on the granting of a pardon, Our Minister shall consult with the ICC in order to learn its views.

Section 57

Sections 61-64a and 66 of the Transfer of Enforcement of Criminal Judgments Act (Wet overdracht tenuitvoerlegging strafvonnissen) shall apply mutatis mutandis to warrants for provisional deprivation of liberty issued under this chapter.

Section 58

1. Civil law decisions taken by the ICC in accordance with article 75 of the Statute shall be recognised in the Netherlands and may be enforced after they have been declared enforceable at the request of an interested party.
2. Recognition and enforcement shall not take place if:
(a) recognition and enforcement would be manifestly contrary to Dutch public order;
(b) in the case where the defendant was absent at the reparations proceedings before the ICC, the document initiating the action or a comparable document was not served on or communicated to the defendant in the prescribed way and in sufficient time for his defence, unless the defendant failed to apply the legal remedies open to him;
(c) the decision is incompatible with a decision given in the Kingdom of the Netherlands between the same parties;
(d) the decision is incompatible with a decision given previously in a different State between the same parties in a dispute that was based on the same subject and has the same cause, provided that the latter decision complies with the conditions for recognition in the Netherlands.
3. The jurisdiction of the ICC shall not be reviewed by the courts. The rules governing the jurisdiction of the ICC do not relate to public order as referred to in subsection 2 (a).
4. Under no circumstances may there be a review of the correctness of a decision given by the ICC.
5. Only decisions of the ICC against which no further ordinary legal remedy exists are eligible for enforcement.
6. Decisions of the ICC which result in compensation that exceeds the material and non-material damage actually suffered shall not be recognised in so far as they are excessive.
7. Requests as referred to in subsections 1 and 6 shall be addressed to the judge at The Hague District Court who hears applications for provisional relief.
8. In so far as not provided otherwise in this section, the provisions of articles 985-992 of the Code of Civil Procedure shall apply mutatis mutandis to the request.

CHAPTER 4. ENFORCEMENT OF SENTENCES

§ 3. Enforcement of sentences of imprisonment

Section 66

§ 3 of this chapter applies to a request of the ICC to enforce a sentence of imprisonment it has imposed:
(a) if the Netherlands has indicated its willingness to accept sentenced persons and the ICC designates the Netherlands in accordance with article 103, paragraph 1 (a), of the Statute;
(b) if the Netherlands is obliged, as host State, to enforce the sentence of imprisonment in accordance with article 103, paragraph 4, of the Statute.

Section 67

1. In the case referred to in section 66 (a), Our Minister shall decide whether the designation by the ICC is accepted.
2. Article 10 of the Criminal Code shall not apply to a decision of Our Minister as referred to in subsection 1.
3. Our Minister shall notify the ICC as soon as possible of his decision.
4. The enforcement shall be carried out by Our Minister on the recommendation of the public prosecutor at The Hague District Court.

Section 68

1. In the case referred to in section 66 (b), the sentence of imprisonment imposed by the ICC shall, on the instructions of Our Minister, be enforced or further enforced in the Netherlands in accordance with the conditions set out in the headquarters agreement referred to in article 3, paragraph 2, of the Statute. Article 10 of the Criminal Code shall not apply to the decision of Our Minister.
2. Section 67, subsections 3 and 4, shall apply mutatis mutandis.

Section 69

1. Enforcement in accordance with section 67, subsection 4, or section 68, subsection 2 of a sentence of imprisonment imposed by the ICC shall be carried out subject to the provisions laid down by or pursuant to the Criminal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Penitentiary Principles Act (Penitentiaire beginselenwet) or any specific criminal statute relating to the enforcement of judicial decisions.
2. Articles 15-15d of the Criminal Code shall not apply, except in respect of a sentence of imprisonment imposed by the ICC for an offence against the administration of justice of the ICC as referred to in article 70, paragraph 1 of the Statute.

Section 70

1. If the ICC decides in accordance with article 104 of the Statute to transfer the sentenced person to another State, the person concerned shall be delivered to the authorities of that State as soon as possible, at such time and place as may be determined by Our Minister after consultation with those authorities.
2. Enforcement in the Netherlands of the sentence of imprisonment shall end automatically at the moment when the person concerned is delivered to the authorities referred to in subsection 1.

Section 71

1. Communications exchanged between the sentenced person and the ICC shall not be restricted and are confidential. A petition or any other document may be lodged by the sentenced person through the intermediary of the governor of the institution where the sentenced person is detained. The governor shall ensure that the document is dated and forwarded to the ICC immediately.
2. Persons designated for this purpose by the ICC shall have access to the sentenced person, in accordance with section 38, subsection 7, second, third and fourth sentences of the Penitentiary Principles Act, in the institution where he is detained.
3. Requests by the ICC for information needed for the exercise of its supervisory duties in accordance with article 106 of the Statute shall be granted by Our Minister to the extent possible.
4. At the request of the ICC, a sentenced person shall, if he consents, be temporarily placed at the disposal of the ICC for the purpose of any investigation to be carried out by the ICC in connection with the enforcement.

Article 103
Role of States in enforcement of sentences of imprisonment
1. (a) A sentence of imprisonment shall be served in a State designated by the Court from a list of States which have indicated to the Court their willingness to accept sentenced persons.
(b) At the time of declaring its willingness to accept sentenced persons, a State may attach conditions to its acceptance as agreed by the Court and in accordance with this Part.
(c) A State designated in a particular case shall promptly inform the Court whether it accepts the Court's designation.
2. (a) The State of enforcement shall notify the Court of any circumstances, including the exercise of any conditions agreed under paragraph 1, which could materially affect the terms or extent of the imprisonment. The Court shall be given at least 45 days' notice of any such known or foreseeable
circumstances. During this period, the State of enforcement shall take no action that might prejudice its obligations under article 110.
(b) Where the Court cannot agree to the circumstances referred to in subparagraph (a), it shall notify the State of enforcement and proceed in accordance with article 104, paragraph 1.
3. In exercising its discretion to make a designation under paragraph 1, the Court shall take into account the following:
(a) The principle that States Parties should share the responsibility for enforcing sentences of imprisonment, in accordance with principles of equitable distribution, as provided in the Rules of Procedure and Evidence;
(b) The application of widely accepted international treaty standards governing the treatment of prisoners;
(c) The views of the sentenced person;
(d) The nationality of the sentenced person;
(e) Such other factors regarding the circumstances of the crime or the person sentenced, or the effective enforcement of the sentence, as may be appropriate in designating the State of enforcement.
4. If no State is designated under paragraph 1, the sentence of imprisonment shall be served in a prison facility made available by the host State, in accordance with the conditions set out in the headquarters agreement referred to in article 3, paragraph 2. In such a case, the costs arising out of the enforcement of a sentence of imprisonment shall be borne by the Court.

Article 105
Enforcement of the sentence
1. Subject to conditions which a State may have specified in accordance with article 103, paragraph 1 (b), the sentence of imprisonment shall be binding on the States Parties, which shall in no case modify it.
2. The Court alone shall have the right to decide any application for appeal and revision. The State of enforcement shall not impede the making of any such application by a sentenced person.