[420 Girl]

Over half the magistrates in the Netherlands consider cannabis should be legalised. So reports Vrij Nederland weekly, following a survey among the judiciary.

The leftwing weekly interviewed 489 judges, 140 prosecutors and 22 judges in training. Over half (52 percent) were in favour of decriminalising 'soft drugs' (cannabis, hash). Over one in ten (12 percent) even want possession, dealing in or use of 'hard drugs' no longer to lead to criminal prosecution.

Nearly half the respondents (48 percent) consider that anti-terrorism measures have been tightened up too much. Judges in particular are also concerned about the privacy of citizens (41 percent). Ten percent even believe the Netherlands is on the road to becoming a police state. Simultaneously, the Netherlands has become less safe, 49 percent believe.

Over half (55 percent) of the judges and prosecutors do not want suspects acquitted in a completed criminal case to be able to be tried again if new evidence surfaces. This contradicts a proposal by Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballin, who wants to permit re-opening of such cases.

The full results of the survey and an interview with Hirsch Ballin are in the Vrij Nederland issue appearing today.

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