Artikel 71: Parliamentary immunity

Artikel 71

Members of the States General, Ministers, State Secretaries and other persons taking part in deliberations may not be prosecuted or otherwise held liable in law for anything they say during the sittings of the States General or of its committees or for anything they submit to them in writing.

In andere talen:

English

Members of the States General, Ministers, State Secretaries and other persons taking part in deliberations may not be prosecuted or otherwise held liable in law for anything they say during the sittings of the States General or of its committees or for anything they submit to them in writing.

Français

Les membres des États généraux, les ministres, les secrétaires d'État et les autres personnes qui participent aux délibérations ne peuvent être poursuivis ni attaqués en justice pour ce qu'ils ont dit lors de séances des États généraux ou des commissions parlementaires, ou pour ce qu'ils leur ont communiqué par écrit.

Deutsch

Die Mitglieder der Generalstaaten, die Minister, die Staatssekretäre und andere Personen, die an den Beratungen teilnehmen, können für das, was sie in den Sitzungen der Generalstaaten oder der Parlamentsausschüsse gesagt haben oder diesen schriftlich vorgelegt haben, nicht rechtlich belangt oder haftbar gemacht werden.

Español

Contra los miembros de los Estados Generales, los Ministros, los Secretarios de Estado y otras personas que participen en la deliberación, no se podrá proceder judicialmente o entablar reclamación por lo que hayan dicho o hayan presentado por escrito en las sesiones de los Estados Generales o sus comisiones.

Explanation

Please note: Only the Dutch-language version of the Constitution has legal effect. 

Members of Parliament, ministers, and state secretaries cannot be prosecuted criminally and are not civilly liable for what they have said in the House or communicated to the House in writing.

This 'immunity' applies to both plenary and committee meetings, but does not apply when the meeting is closed. In 1939, Roman Catholic Member of Parliament Ruyter was prosecuted because, after the closure of a (tumultuous) parliamentary session, he had called the NSB member Rost van Tonningen a traitor.