Bart Dings | Lawyer

Education

Bart Dings studied Law at Maastricht University, where he went on to obtain a Master’s degree in Dutch Law, specialising in Constitutional and Administrative Law. Throughout both his Bachelor’s and Master’s programmes, he focused intensively on issues relating to integrity and public administration. He wrote his Master’s thesis on the Dutch integrity regime for government ministers.

As part of the Professional Training Programme for Lawyers, Bart chose administrative law as his main practice area and environmental law as his secondary practice area.

Experience

Before joining Kuyp Baar Advocaten, Bart worked as an administrative law solicitor at Hekkelman Advocaten. There, he was part of the public order and enforcement team, advising and representing local authorities and mayors in legal proceedings. His work included matters relating to the Bibob Act, property closures under the Opium Act and the Local Government Act, operating licences and licences under the Alcohol Act, the right to demonstrate, emergency powers and the administrative approach to undermining public order.

Before becoming a solicitor, Bart worked as a spatial planning policy officer for the municipality of Sittard-Geleen. There, he advised the mayor and aldermen and oversaw, amongst other things, zoning plan procedures and planning permission processes.

Bart therefore has an understanding of administrative decision-making not only from the perspective of the legal profession, but also from within the public sector itself.

Vision

Administrative law proceedings can have far-reaching consequences for members of the public and business owners. A hospitality business at risk of losing its licence, a company facing a Bibob investigation, or a property being closed down: an administrative decision can have a direct impact on someone’s business or daily life.

Bart therefore believes it is important to look not only at the legal soundness of a decision, but also at the way in which it was reached and the interests that were weighed up in the process. His experience working alongside local authorities and mayors helps him in this regard: he knows how administrative bodies build up cases, what considerations are made within the government, and where there is scope for a defence within that decision-making process.

At Kuyp Baar Advocaten, Bart focuses in particular on public order, administrative enforcement, the Bibob Act and licences. He works in a focused and pragmatic manner and is keen to communicate clearly about both the possibilities and the limitations of a case.