Court rulings & orders · On the timeline
Ruling
11 Mar 2026
11 Mar 2026
C/17/190788 · District Court of the Northern Netherlands, Leeuwarden
Ruling — 30 minutes per side, 5 hours for the hearing
District Court (Leeuwarden)
Court decision · binding on the parties
In 30 seconds
An interim ruling (a decision on procedure, not the merits) that set the ground rules for the 22 October 2026 hearing. The court refused the claimants' request for 120 minutes and set deadlines for any new documents.
Cheat sheet
- The court rejected the claimants' request for 120 minutes of speaking time.
- Every party gets half an hour in the first round; several defendants said 10 minutes was enough for them.
- Five hours in total were set aside for the oral hearing.
- New documents must reach the court and other parties at least four weeks before the hearing; replies at least ten calendar days before.
- The court accepted that claimant 7 is the same person named in the summons.
- Organisational requests (experts, interpreter) were left for a later letter.
Key passages · underlined
A speaking time of 120 minutes is therefore not excessive, according to the plaintiffs. The court disagrees with this view, as the need for a longer speaking time does not follow from these arguments.
The court will set the speaking time for all parties in the first round at half an hour per party.
this party must submit the relevant documents no later than four weeks before the oral hearing. If another party wishes to submit documents in response, they must do so no later than ten calendar days before the oral hearing.
draws the parties’ attention to the fact that five hours will be set aside for the oral hearing;
Every defendant denies the claims, and the court has not ruled on them. Allegations are the claimants' pleaded positions, quoted as theirs. This is analysis and commentary, not legal advice. Interest of Justice is not a party to the case.