Council of State of the Netherlands

Netherlands

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of the Netherlands

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In the Netherlands, the Council of State (Raad van State) is a constitutionally established advisory body to the government which consists of members of the royal family and Crown-appointed members generally having political, commercial, diplomatic, or military experience. The Council of State must be consulted by the cabinet on proposed legislation before a law is submitted to the parliament. The Council of State Administrative Law section also serves as a court of appeal for citizens against executive branch decisions. The Queen is President of the Council of State but she seldom chairs meetings. The Vice-President of the Council of State chairs meetings in the Queens' absence. Under Dutch Constitutional Law the Vice-President of the Council is acting Head of State when there is no Monarch; e.g. if the Royal Family were to become extinct.

Vice Presidents of the Council of State

Name	Period
Gijsbert Karel van Hogendorp	1814-1816
Joihan Hendrik Mollerus	1817-1829
Willem II van Oranje-Nassau	1829-1840
Hendrik Jacob van Doorn van Westcapelle	1841-1848
Willem Gerard van de Poll	1848-1858
Ænæus Mackay	1862-1876
Gerlach Cornelis Joannes van Reenen	1876-1893
Johan Æmilius Abraham van Panhuys	1893-1897
Johan Willem Meinard Schorer	1897-1903
Peter Joannes van Swinderen	1903-1912
Joan Röell	1912-1914
Willem Fredrik van Leeuwen	1914-1928
Fredrik Alexander Carel van Lynden van Sandenburg	1928-1932
Frans Beelaerts van Blokland	1933-1956
Bram Rutgers	1956-1959
Louis Beel	1959-1972
Marinus Ruppert	1973-1980
Willem Scholten	1980-1997
Herman Tjeenk Willink	1997-2012
Piet Hein Donner	2012-