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Ernst Hirsch Ballin
Hirsch Ballin in 2013
Member of the Scientific Council for Government Policy
In office 1 July 2014 – 1 April 2019
Director	See list André Knottnerus (2014–2017) Corien Prins (2017–2019)
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
In office 23 February 2010 – 14 October 2010
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Guusje Ter Horst
Succeeded by	Piet Hein Donner
Member of the Council of State
In office 1 November 2000 – 22 September 2006
Vice President	Herman Tjeenk Willink
Member of the Senate
In office 13 June 1995 – 1 November 2000
Parliamentary group	Christian Democratic Appeal
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 17 May 1994 – 1 June 1995
Parliamentary group	Christian Democratic Appeal
Minister of the Interior
In office 10 January 1994 – 18 January 1994 Ad interim
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Ien Dales
Succeeded by	Ed van Thijn
Minister for Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Affairs
In office 14 November 1989 – 27 May 1994
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Ruud Lubbers (Ad interim)
Succeeded by	Ruud Lubbers
Minister of Justice
In office 22 September 2006 – 14 October 2010
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Rita Verdonk (Ad interim)
Succeeded by	Ivo Opstelten as Minister of Security and Justice
In office 7 November 1989 – 27 May 1994
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Frits Korthals Altes
Succeeded by	Aad Kosto
Personal details
Born	Ernst Maurits Henricus Hirsch (1950-12-15) 15 December 1950 (age 74) Amsterdam, Netherlands
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal (from 1982)
Parent	Ernst Denny Hirsch Ballin (1898–1975) (father)
Residence(s)	Tilburg, Netherlands
Alma mater	University of Amsterdam (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws, Doctor of Law)
Occupation	Politician · civil servant · Jurist · Researcher · Nonprofit director · Academic administrator · Lobbyist · Editor · Author · professor

Ernst Maurits Henricus Hirsch Ballin (born 15 December 1950) is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and jurist.

After the election of 1989 Hirsch Ballin was appointed as Minister of Justice in the Cabinet Lubbers III, taking office on 7 November 1989. Hirsch Ballin was also appointed as Minister for Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Affairs, taking office on 14 November 1989. Hirsch Ballin served as acting Minister of the Interior from 10 January 1994 until 18 January 1994 following the death of Ien Dales. Hirsch Ballin was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1994, taking office on 17 May 1994. On 27 May 1994 Hirsch Ballin and Minister of the Interior Ed van Thijn resigned following the conclusions of a parliamentary inquiry report into illegal interrogation techniques used by the police. Hirsch Ballin also served again as a professor of International law at the Tilburg University from 1 July 1994 until 22 September 2006 and also as a professor of Jurisprudence at the Tilburg University from 1 September 1996 until 22 September 2006. Hirsch Ballin was elected as a Member of the Senate after the Senate election of 1995, he resigned as a Member of the House of Representatives on 1 June 1995 and was installed as a Member of the Senate, taking office on 13 June 1995. In October 2000 Hirsch Ballin was nominated as Member of the Council of State, he resigned as a Member of the Senate the same day he was installed as a Member of the Council of State, taking office on 1 November 2000. Hirsch Ballin was appointed again as Minister of Justice in the Cabinet Balkenende III following the resignation of Piet Hein Donner, taking office on 22 September 2006. Shortly thereafter Hirsch Ballin announced that he would not stand for the election of 2006. Following the cabinet formation of 2006 Hirsch Ballin continued as Minister of Justice in the Cabinet Balkenende IV, taking office on 22 February 2007. The Cabinet Balkenende IV fell on 20 February 2010 after tensions in the coalition over the extension of the Dutch involvement in the Task Force Urozgan of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity with Hirsch Ballin continuing as Minister of Justice and also took over as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, taking office on 23 February 2010. In April 2010 Hirsch Ballin announced that he would not stand for the election of 2010. Following the cabinet formation of 2010 Hirsch Ballin was not giving a cabinet post in the new cabinet, the Cabinet Balkenende IV was replaced by the Cabinet Rutte I on 14 October 2010.

Hirsch Ballin semi-retired from active politics and became active in the public sector and occupied numerous seats as a nonprofit director on several boards of directors and supervisory boards (Institute for Multiparty Democracy, European Christian Political Foundation, The Hague Institute for Global Justice, Carnegie Foundation, T.M.C. Asser Instituut, National Archives, Cordaid and the Anne Frank Foundation) and served on several state commissions and councils on behalf of the government (Scientific Council for Government Policy, the Dutch Probation Agency and Public Pension Funds APB) and as an advocate and lobbyist for human rights, anti-war movement, social justice, and democracy. Hirsch Ballin also returned as a distinguished professor of constitutional law and European law at the Tilburg University since 1 April 2011 and as a distinguished professor of human rights at the University of Amsterdam since 1 May 2011. Hirsch Ballin is also a prolific author, having written more than sixty books since 1979 about politics, democracy, and law.

Hirsch Ballin is known for his abilities as a manager and policy wonk. Hirsch Ballin continues to comment on political affairs as of 2024 and holds the distinction as the longest-serving Minister of Justice with 8 years, 223 days.

Biography

Early life

Hirsch Ballin was born to a Jewish father Prof. Dr. Ernst Danny Hirsch Ballin, and a Roman Catholic mother. After completing his secondary education, he studied law at the University of Amsterdam and became a practicing Catholic.

He graduated in 1974, and he received a Master of Laws degree. He received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1979 for his dissertation on public law and policy, which focussed on fundamental issues surrounding the work of the Advisory Council on Government Policy (WRR).

Hirsch Ballin was a research assistant in constitutional law at the University of Amsterdam from 1974 to 1977. He was subsequently employed as a legal officer at the Ministry of Justice. In 1981 he was appointed professor of constitutional and administrative law at Tilburg University.

Politics

From 7 November 1989 to 27 May 1994 Hirsch Ballin served as Minister of Justice and Minister for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs in the Cabinet Lubbers III. In 1994 he offered his resignation, after turmoil about the Dutch Criminal Investigation Department.

After the Cabinet Kok I with a coalition of the Dutch Labour Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Democrats 66 came to power the Christian Democratic Appeal was pushed to the opposition and Hirsch Ballin became a Member of the House of Representatives a post he held until 1995.

During this period he was also professor of legislative issues at the Tilburg University. In 1995 he was appointed professor of international law at the same university and later became Member of the Senate. He was elected as a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2005. In 2000 Hirsch Ballin was appointed to the Dutch Council of State and he resigned as a Member of the Senate.

Hirsch Ballin has held numerous other positions, among them government commissioner for the review of legislation, member of the Board of the Netherlands Atlantic Association, member of Committee 2004 (for the relationship between the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba) and deputy justice on the Central Appeals Tribunal and the Administrative Court for Trade and Industry. He has been editor of the Dutch administrative law journal "Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Bestuursrecht" and the book series European and International Law.

On 23 May 2008 satirical cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot was arrested which caused (inter)national controversy. Hirsch Ballin wanted to pass a bill on blasphemy, but failed. He was accused of causing the cartoonist to be brought to court for blasphemy to get a verdict to bypass the parliament.

Hirsch Ballin is also an active member of the Justice Leadership Initiative.

Family

Ernst Hirsch Ballin is married; he and his wife have two children.

Decorations

Honours
Ribbon bar	Honour	Country	Date	Comment
	Knight of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre	Holy See	10 December 1990
	Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion	Netherlands	8 October 1994
	Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold II	Belgium	21 March 2008
	Officer of the Legion of Honour	France	30 October 2014
	Grand Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau	Netherlands	1 April 2019	Elevated from Officer (3 December 2010)

References

1. "Ernst Hirsch Ballin". Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 July 2015.
2. (in Dutch) Cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot opgepakt, RTL Nieuws
3. "Ernst Hirsch Ballin – Justice Leadership". justiceleaders.org.

External links

Official

• (in Dutch) Prof.Mr.Dr. E.M.H. (Ernst) Hirsch Ballin Parlement & Politiek
• (in Dutch) Prof.Mr.Dr. E.M.H. Hirsch Ballin (CDA) Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal

v t e Ministers of the interior of the Netherlands
Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
Gogel Van Stralen Mollerus Van Leyden van Westbarendrecht Twent van Raaphorst Van der Capellen Van Stralen Röell De Coninck Van Gobbelschroy De la Coste Van Doorn van Westcapelle De Kock Schimmelpenninck van der Oye Van der Heim van Duivendijke Vollenhoven Van Randwijck Van der Heim van Duivendijke Luzac De Kempenaer Thorbecke Van Reenen Simons Van Rappard Van Tets van Goudriaan Van Heemstra Thorbecke J. Geertsema J. Heemskerk Fock Thorbecke Van Bosse J. Geertsema J. Heemskerk Kappeyne van de Coppello Six Pijnacker Hordijk J. Heemskerk Mackay De Savornin Lohman Tak van Poortvliet Van Houten Goeman Borgesius Kuyper Rink T. Heemskerk Cort van der Linden De Beerenbrouck De Geer Kan De Beerenbrouck De Wilde Boeijen Burger Van Boeijen Beel Witteman Van Maarseveen Van Schaik Teulings Van Maarseveen Teulings Beel Van Oven Suurhoff Struycken Toxopeus Smallenbroek Samkalden Verdam Beernink M. Geertsema De Gaay Fortman Wiegel Van Thijn Rood Rietkerk Korthals Altes De Korte Van Dijk De Koning Van Dijk Dales Hirsch Ballin Van Thijn De Graaff-Nauta Dijkstal Peper Van Boxtel De Vries Remkes Ter Horst Hirsch Ballin Donner Spies Plasterk Blok Plasterk Ollongren Knops Ollongren Bruins Slot De Jonge Uitermark

v t e Ministers of kingdom relations of the Netherlands
Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations
Korthals Biesheuvel Bakker Nelissen Lardinois Geertsema De Gaay Fortman Van der Stee Den Uyl De Koning Lubbers Hirsch Ballin Lubbers Voorhoeve Peper Van Boxtel De Vries Remkes De Graaf Pechtold Nicolaï Ter Horst Hirsch Ballin Donner Spies Plasterk Blok Plasterk Ollongren Knops Ollongren Bruins Slot De Jonge Uitermark

v t e Ministers of justice of the Netherlands
Ministry of Justice and Security
Tadama Reuvens Van Hooff Van der Goes van Dirxland Cambier Appelius Van Hugenpoth tot Aerdt Van Maanen Van Pallandt van Keppel Van Maanen Van Hall De Jonge van Campensnieuwland Donker Curtius Wichers Lightenvelt Nedermeyer van Rosenthal Strens Donker Curtius Van der Brugghen Boot Godefroi Olivier Pické Borret J. Heemskerk Wintgens Van Lilaar Jolles De Vries Van Lynden van Sandenburg Smidt Modderman Du Tour van Bellinchave Ruijs de Beerenbrouck Smidt Van der Kaay Cort van der Linden Loeff Van Raalte Nelissen T. Heemskerk Regout T. Heemskerk Ort T. Heemskerk Schokking J. Donner Van Schaik Goseling De Visser Gerbrandy Van Angeren Van Heuven Goedhart Gerbrandy Kolfschoten Van Maarseveen Wijers Van Maarseveen Struycken Mulderije Donker Beel Van Oven Samkalden Struycken Beerman Scholten Samkalden Struycken Polak Van Agt De Gaay Fortman De Ruiter Korthals Altes Hirsch Ballin Kosto Sorgdrager Korthals P. H. Donner Verdonk Hirsch Ballin Opstelten Blok Van der Steur Blok Grapperhaus Yeşilgöz-Zegerius Van Weel

• 1950 births
• Living people
• Christian Democratic Appeal politicians
• Converts to Roman Catholicism from Judaism
• Dutch academic administrators
• Dutch democracy activists
• Dutch human rights activists
• Dutch lobbyists
• Dutch magazine editors
• Dutch people of German-Jewish descent
• Dutch political writers
• Dutch Roman Catholics
• Dutch scholars of constitutional law
• European Union law scholars
• Grand Officers of the Order of Leopold II
• Grand Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau
• Jewish Dutch politicians
• Jewish Dutch writers
• Jewish educators
• Members of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre
• International law scholars
• Jurisprudence academics
• Knights of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
• Members of the Council of State (Netherlands)
• Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands)
• Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Members of the Scientific Council for Government Policy
• Members of the Senate (Netherlands)
• Ministers of kingdom relations of the Netherlands
• Ministers of justice of the Netherlands
• Ministers of the interior of the Netherlands
• Officers of the Legion of Honour
• Politicians from Amsterdam
• Scholars of administrative law
• Academic staff of Tilburg University
• University of Amsterdam alumni
• Academic staff of the University of Amsterdam
• 20th-century Dutch civil servants
• 20th-century Dutch jurists
• 20th-century Dutch male writers
• 20th-century Dutch politicians
• 21st-century Dutch civil servants
• 21st-century Dutch jurists
• 21st-century Dutch male writers
• 21st-century Dutch politicians