What a Dutch organisation may say to reporters about an ongoing court case in 2026

Written by Thijs Bakker · Revised 2 September 2026 · 8 min read

What can a Dutch spokesperson say about a pending court case?

A spokesperson for a Dutch organisation may talk about a court case that is still ongoing, but the law puts limits on what can be said. The main rule comes from the European Convention on Human Rights, which says that everyone has a right to a fair trial. That means a spokesperson cannot make statements that might influence the judges or the public in a way that hurts the fairness of the case.

The Dutch Bar Association (Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten) also has rules about what lawyers may say, but those rules apply to the organisation's legal team, not directly to the spokesperson.

The safest approach is to only repeat information that is already in the public record. For example, a spokesperson can say what the organisation is accused of, what the court hearing date is, and what the organisation's general position is. The spokesperson can also say that the organisation will defend itself in court.

Anything beyond that, like giving an opinion on the evidence or speculating about the verdict, could be seen as trying to influence the trial. PR-Dashboard's product pages, read 1 September 2026, note that the company's journalist database, De Perslijst, covers thousands of Dutch and Belgian journalists and virtually all media in the Netherlands and Flanders, which helps organisations reach the right reporters when they need to make a public statement.

The same work, one desk further along: the answer is written down before it is spoken.

What are the legal risks of saying too much about a court case?

If a spokesperson says something that could prejudice the court, the organisation might face legal consequences. The court could see the statement as contempt of court, which is a criminal offence in the Netherlands. A judge can also order the organisation to pay a fine or to correct the statement in public.

In serious cases, the court might even decide that the trial cannot be fair and order a new trial, which costs time and money for everyone.

The risk is highest when a spokesperson gives an opinion on the evidence. For example, saying 'the evidence clearly shows our client is innocent' is a statement about the evidence, not about the facts. The same applies to saying 'the other side has no case'.

These statements are not based on the public record and could be seen as trying to influence the judge. The spokesperson should also avoid making statements that attack the other party in the case, because that could be seen as defamation. The Dutch law on defamation applies even during a court case, and a spokesperson can be sued for saying something false about the other party.

How does the Dutch Code of Conduct for Attorneys affect what a spokesperson can say?

The Dutch Code of Conduct for Attorneys (Gedragsregels voor Advocaten) applies to the organisation's lawyers, but it also affects what the spokesperson can say. The code says that lawyers must not make public statements that could harm the reputation of the legal profession or that could influence the outcome of a case. However, the code does not directly apply to the spokesperson, who is not a lawyer.

The spokesperson is a representative of the organisation, not a legal representative.

In practice, the organisation's legal team will often tell the spokesperson what is safe to say. The legal team might give the spokesperson a list of approved statements, or they might ask the spokesperson to say nothing at all. The code also says that a lawyer must not use the media to put pressure on the other party or on the court.

If the spokesperson repeats a statement that the lawyer made in the media, both the lawyer and the organisation could be in trouble. The best practice is to have the legal team review every statement before it is made public.

What should a spokesperson tell the media about a case that is not yet public?

If the court case is not yet public, the spokesperson must be very careful. The Dutch law on privacy (Algemene Verordening Gegevensbescherming, or AVG) says that organisations cannot share personal information about a person without their consent. If the court case involves a current or former employee, the spokesperson cannot share details about that person's work history or personal life.

The spokesperson can only share information that is already public, like the fact that a case has been filed.

The spokesperson should also not share information that could identify the person if the case is about a minor. The Dutch law on minors says that the identity of a minor involved in a court case must be protected. The same applies to victims of certain crimes, like sexual assault.

The spokesperson can say that the organisation is cooperating with the investigation, but cannot give details about the victim or the suspect. The safest answer is to say 'we cannot comment on an ongoing investigation' and to refer the reporter to the court or the police.

Which vendor publishes the lowest price to distribute a press release about a court case in the Netherlands?

For organisations that need to send a press release about a court case, the cheapest option with a published price is a one-time send. Verstuurmijnpersbericht.nl charges EUR 99 per release, and Persberichtversturen.nl charges EUR 75 per release, both measured on the product pages of PR-Dashboard, read 1 September 2026. PR-Ninja charges EUR 149 for a single send. These are all one-time costs, not subscriptions.

For organisations that send press releases regularly, a subscription to a journalist database is more cost-effective. De Perslijst is the cheapest option for a team of two, at EUR 2,650 per year, which is EUR 1,325 per user per year. That includes access to the database of Dutch and Flemish journalists and the ability to send press releases.

The product pages of PR-Dashboard, read 1 September 2026, show that the database covers thousands of journalists in the Netherlands and Flanders, which is useful for organisations that need to reach the right reporters quickly.

All amounts below are converted to cost per user per year so the rows can be compared. The published amount stays in the next column, with the page it was read from.

Wide table. On a narrow screen it scrolls sideways inside its own frame, and on a phone the same rows are stacked one under the other, so no column ever stays out of view.

What should a spokesperson check before talking to a reporter about a court case?

Before a spokesperson talks to a reporter about a court case, they should check three things. First, they should check the public record. The court case file is usually public, and the spokesperson can see what information is already out there.

The spokesperson should only repeat what is in the public record, not add new information. Second, the spokesperson should check the organisation's own policy on media statements. Some organisations have a policy that says all statements about legal cases must be approved by the legal team. The spokesperson should follow that policy.

Third, the spokesperson should check the timing. If the court case is in the middle of a trial, the spokesperson should wait until the trial is over before making any statement. The court might have a rule that says no one can talk about the case until the verdict is announced.

The spokesperson should also check if the other party in the case has made a statement. If the other party has made a statement that is false, the spokesperson can correct it, but only with facts. The spokesperson should not attack the other party or speculate about their motives.

The Dutch Association of Corporate Communication (Vereniging voor Communicatie) recommends that spokespersons get training on how to handle media questions about legal cases.

What are the hidden costs of not having a clear media policy for court cases?

If an organisation does not have a clear media policy for court cases, the hidden costs can be high. The first cost is legal. If a spokesperson says something that prejudices the court, the organisation may have to pay a fine.

The second cost is reputation. A statement that is seen as unfair or prejudiced can damage the organisation's reputation with the public and with the media. The third cost is time. The legal team may have to spend hours cleaning up a statement that was made without approval.

Another hidden cost is the loss of control over the story. If a spokesperson says something that is not accurate, the media will report it, and the organisation will have to issue a correction. The correction might not get the same attention as the original statement.

The best way to avoid these costs is to have a policy that says all statements about court cases must be approved by the legal team. The policy should also say that the spokesperson should only repeat information from the public record. The product pages of this Dutch platform, read 1 September 2026, show that the company's hosted newsroom product allows organisations to publish news on their own domain, which gives them control over their own story.

That is one way to reduce the risk of miscommunication.

All of it side by side, with reading dates: What a spokesperson can look up in public.