This photo is a trap (or a joke if you prefer): in the center of it, you see the missing link of our service. Indeed, contrary to what is offered in almost all other public agencies, you can’t pay with Bancontact at our Justice of the Peace.

So you have to take along your cash €, or make a money transfer, and in that case patiently wait till the credit is confirmed to us: no credit here ;-)

In some courts (as Roeselare), we are on Internet Banking with  Pay@Finpost, so at least we do not have to wait any more for the confirmation on paper. That way we already gained a week time in starting the procedures.

Bancontact would fasten this even more for many citizens. It often happens some one doesn’ have the cash in his/her pocket.  25 of 35 € seems a ridicoulous amount, but not for our vulnerable clients.

And I must admit: I’m not just a fan of ‘plastic money’, I’m an addict of it. “Never leave home without it” is my device about (also) Bancontact & Proton.

Everywhere cash is discouraged as an obsolete way of paying, also for fiscal and security reasons.  Obvious !

So I stick to ‘pinnen’  - the Dutch version of it.

Time is money: who wants to start a case must take into account it should be introduced on our court on Tuesday. So the tax (‘rolrecht’) must be paid the second Thursday before (!) that date. For the one day of delay in paying  to Friday, your procedure is postponed with one week, to the next Tuesday...

One must indeed bear in mind the stricter terms for sending the subpoenas. Art. 53 bis Ger.W., law since 2005, is the result of a legendary battle between our Supreme Court and the Constitutional Court - yes, in Belgium we love to “double”  our institutions ;-) ( see Dirk Scheers in De Juristenkrant van 11.01.2006).

In the mean time, our personnel gets laughs or wonder when informing asthonished citizens we ... oops ...can’t accept Bancontact... yet... So sorry... For who has to recover a bail of €600 per month, the clock ticks away à €20 per day, often forever lost... But our Justice Department doesn’t accord you a “sorry-pass” neither.

This new millenium is a decade old, and spending money for getting your rights is no fun, so let’s shorten the pain to get over with it ?

Wat u vast niet gemist hebt - Ce que vous n’avez certainement pas râté - You didn’t miss this one did you ?

11 12 2006 (ja 2006 !) Kwaliteit Nederlandse rechtspraak staat onder druk (NRC Handelsblad)

A quote a day, keeps the doctor away ;-)

“Te lang zijn procedures typisch voor “ce mépris de l’institution pour ses usagers” geweest” (P. Martens, geciteerd door Jo Stevens Voorzitter Orde van Vlaamse Balies in zijn bijdrage ‘Een wolf bij zijn staart houden, of de burger als consument van justitie’ - Ed. ‘Kiezen tussen recht en rechtvaardigheid’ - Afscheidsbundel Freddy Evers.