We make it our business

Criminal law

Durnez Advocaten has broad knowledge and practical experience concerning the follow-up and handling of criminal matters before the Police Courts, Correctional Courts, criminal-law divisions of the Courts of Appeal, Courts of Assizes and Court of Cassation sitting in criminal matters. You can count on us for questions and procedures concerning:
  • Assistance in case of arrest and/or interrogations
  • Assistance with proceedings before the Council Chamber and the Indictment Chamber
  • Assistance with filing and handling an appeal to the Court of Cassation (accreditation no. OVB -15-173)
  • Assistance on filing with an examining magistrate and following up a complaint with constitution of a civil party
  • Studying the criminal file, drafting pleadings and arguing before the criminal courts.
  • Assistance with the sentence implementation courts
  • Working out of arrangements and handling of proceedings relating to settlement of the claim on the part of the civil parties
  • …….
The matters that can be dealt with here are highly diverse, ranging from manslaughter, intentional assault and battery, arson, theft, fraud, breach of confidence, molestation, rape, social criminal offences (irregular employment of foreigners, etc.), tax fraud (money-laundering activities, customs problems, etc.). We handle such matters from the perspective of both victims and defendants. Published case law
  • Court of Cassation dated 20/10/1992 (Nevens/Omob), Arr.Cass 91-92, 1215, Bull.92, 1173 and Pas. 92, I, 1173 (handling of stolen property)
  • Antwerp dated 20/02/1996, Rechtskundig Weekblad 96-97, 398, with notes by Arnou and Gelders (unlawful search of a vehicle)
  • Belgian Constitutional Court dated 06/04/00, Rechtskundig Weekblad 00-01, 472 (request for a preliminary ruling – customs and excise duties – prosecution)
  • Cass. (2nd division) AR P.02.0494.N, 4 February 2003 (B.E.), Arr.Cass. 2003, issue 2, 319; http://www.cass.be (5 March 2003); Pas. 2003, issue 2, 265 (fair trial and equality of arms)
  • Court of Cassation dated 26/02/02, Arr.Cass. 2002, issue 2, 580; http://www.cass.be (23 April 2002); Pas. 2002, issue 2, 551; RW 2002-03, issue 38, 1504 and http://www.rw.be (7 June 2003), note by BACKX, B. (fair trial – proof in criminal cases)
  • Cass. (2nd division) AR P.03.0622.N, 25 May 2004 (Pova Fuel et al. / Minister of Finance), Arr.Cass. 2004, issue 5, 913; http://www.cass.be (22 June 2004); Pas. 2004, issue 5-6, 906; T.Strafr. 2005 (abridged), issue 6, 440 (confiscation)
  • Cass. (2nd division) AR P.06.1533.N, 13 February 2007 (A.A.S.H., M.J.A.V.L. / G.D.M., M.B., B.M. et al.), Arr.Cass. 2007, issue 2, 362; http://www.cass.be (23 March 2007); Pas. 2007, issue 2, 314; T.Strafr. 2007, issue 5, 315, note (nullification of decision of the Court of Assizes)
  • Cass. (2nd division) AR P.10.0834.N, 26 October 2010 (K.R.D., Belgian State / E.H.J.V.G., S.P. et al.), Juristenkrant 2011 (presentation of VANWALLEGHEM, P.), issue 223, 7; http://www.cass.be (10 November 2010); Pas. 2010, issue 10, 2801 (obligation to provide reasons for wiretapping – irregular monitoring)
  • Cass. (2nd division) AR P.14.1149.N, 16 December 2014 (M.G.M.K., E.G.E.L.D., Renovama nv), http://www.cass.be (5 January 2015); NC 2015, issue 5, 447 and http://www.nullumcrimen.be/ (16 November 2015); RW 2015-16 (summary), issue 20, 783 and http://www.rw.be/ (9 February 2016) (reasonable period – Money Laundering Act – confiscation)
  • Cass. P.13.0845 dated 24/02/15 (CG/Ethias), Arr.Cass. 2015, issue 2, 528; http://www.cass.be (14 March 2015); Pas. 2015, issue 2, 493 (probative value of late official police report)
  • Cass. (2nd division) AR P.14.0784.N, 23 June 2015 (B.F.I.J. / lease), Arr.Cass. 2015, issue 6-8, 1708; http://www.cass.be (26 July 2015); Pas. 2015, issue 6-7-8, 1678 (application of the law in time)
  • (2nd division) AR P.20.1298.N, 16 February 2021 (clearing service), https://juportal.be (15 March 2021)(tachograph – criminal procedure law)
  • • Belgian Constitutional Court no. 105/2001, 13 July 2001 (request for a preliminary ruling), http://www.const-court.be (18 October 2001); A.A. 2001, issue 3, 1471; Belgian Official Journal 30 October 2001 (extract), 37541 and http://staatsblad.be (6 November 2001); Juristenkrant 2001 (presentation of BREWAEYS, E.), issue 33,5; RW 2002-03, issue 4, 131 and http://www.rw.be (2 October 2002); T.Strafr. 2002, issue 4, 180, note by VERBRUGGEN, F.; Verkeersrecht 2002, issue 1, 37 (irregular revocation of driving licence)
  • Cass. (2nd division) AR P.02.1583.N, 8 April 2003 (L.P.) Arr.Cass. 2003, issue 4, 917; https://juportal.be (23 May 2003); Pas. 2003, issue 4, 764; Verkeersrecht 2003, issue 7, 253 (proof in criminal cases – probative value of an official police report)
  • Cass. (2nd division) AR P.12.1940.N, 22 October 2013 (J.B. / S.B.) Arr.Cass. 2013, issue 10, 2161; https://juportal.be (18 November 2013); Pas. 2013, issue 10, 2001; TBO 2016, issue 1, 26, note by TOREMANS, T. De authentieke bewijswaarde van vaststellingen van de gerechtsdeskundige terug van weggeweest [It´s back: the authentic probative value of findings of the court expert], TBO 2016, issue 1, 27-30
  • Cass. (2nd division) AR P.14.0784.N, 23 June 2015, Arr.Cass. 2015, issue 6-8, 1708; https://juportal.be (26 July 2015); Pas. 2015, issue 6-7-8, 1678 (bankruptcy offence)
  • Cass. (2nd division) AR P.17.0339.N, 12 December 2017 (Y.C.-D.B., M.E.W. / Housing Inspector), https://juportal.be (26 December TROS-Nieuwsbrief 2018 (summary TOURY, J.), issue 3, 13 (obligation to provide reasons for confiscation)
  • Cass. (2nd division) AR P.20.1294.N, 16 March 2021 (D. F. C. D. K.) https://juportal.be (12 April 2021) (presence of a judicial intern during hearings and pronouncement of ruling)
  • Cass. (2nd division) AR P.21.0769.N, 5 October 2021 (GARAGE P nv / G C bv), https://juportal.be/ (26 October 2021) (prescription of prosecution)