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Table 9.5 Opium Act cases as a percentage of total cases before the Public Prosecutor, 2002-2008
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Percentage 7% 7% 8% 8% 8% 7% 7%
Source: OMDATA, WODC, 2009.
There are clear differences in the way hard drugs cases, soft drugs cases and cases
involving both are dealt with by the Public Prosecutor:
• Over two-thirds of hard drug cases were heard in court and 62% of soft drug cases
in 2007 and 57% in 2008. The percentage is much higher in cases involving both soft
and hard drugs (82%-83% in 2007 and 2008) (figure 9.4a-c)..
• Financial orders are most common in soft drug cases.
• Dismissals on policy grounds are more common in cases involving only hard drugs
(8%) and are rare in cases involving a combination of hard and soft drugs (1%).
• Dismissals on technical grounds and joinders are notably rare in combination cases
Figure 9.4 Opium Act cases disposed of by the Public Prosecutor by type of decision, 2002-2008, (a)
hard drugs, (b) soft drugs, (c) hard and soft drugs
(a) Opium Act – Hard Drugs
100
%
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
Summons
Financial Order
Policy Dismissal
Technical Dismissal
Joinder
80% 80% 61% 64% 68% 68% 67%
8% 9% 10% 13% 15% 17% 18%
3% 3% 17% 13% 9% 7% 8%
6% 5% 10% 7% 6% 5% 5%
3% 3% 3% 3% 2% 2% 3%
206 Netherlands National Drug Monitor - NDM Annual Report 2009