Amsterdam Law School
19 November 2019
Eleven students recently received their diploma for the Military Law specialisation track. A delegation from both the university and the Ministry of Defence attended the ceremony. The attendees included Brigadier General A. J. de Haan, Colonel Angelique Appels, Colonel Bart van den Bosch, Annemiek van Verseveld and members of the Military Law Department of the Department of Public Law.
The unique thing about the Military Law specialisation track is that the students already have their law degree. They opt for a career at the Ministry of Defence in order to become an ‘officer legal adviser’. This involves following a military degree programme and wearing a uniform.
Officer legal advisers participate in exercises and can be deployed. They must also attend class for another year and a half. They take five courses (International Humanitarian Law, International Law of Military Operations, Military Criminal and Disciplinary Law, Military Public Service Law and Armed Forces and Constitutional Law) at the Faculty of Law.
The specialisation track has existed for some time, and was initially called the ‘minor in Military Law’. Regular students who complete this track receive a diploma during the degree certificate ceremony, but because these students have already graduated, a separate graduation ceremony is held periodically, especially for them.