Judicial system Dutch Caribbean jurisdictions

The judicial system of the Dutch Caribbean also originates from the Dutch system. The Kingdom Act Combined Court of Justice regulates the organization of the court system for Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten and the BES Islands. The Combined Court of Justice is charged with jurisprudence in civil, criminal and administrative law in Curaçao, Aruba, Sint Maarten and the BES Islands. The Combined Court of Justice has therefore jurisdiction in Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten and, as a foreign court, also in the BES Islands.

The Combined Court of Justice consists of a Court in First Instance for each of the three countries (Curaçao, Aruba and Sint Maarten) and for the BES Islands together, as well as one Court of Appeals that can seat on each of the islands.

Appeal from judgments of the Court of Appeals is possible with the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, seated in The Hague.