Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (1977 - 1982)

Date of birth:

Born 1931.

Professional experience and political career:

  • Barrister 1956-58;
  • legal counsellor for the Ministry of Agriculture 1958-63;
  • legal counsellor for the Minister of Justice 1963-68;
  • Professor of criminal law, Nijmegen University 1968-71;
  • Minister of Justice 1971-73;
  • Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice 1973-77;
  • member of the national parliament, leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) 1977;
  • Queen’s Commissioner (Governor) of the province of North Brabant 1983-87;
  • EC Ambassador to Japan 1987-90;
  • EC Ambassador to the United States 1990-95;
  • visiting professor at Ritsumeikan University, Japan 1995-96;
  • Chair Professor of International Governance at the United Nations University in Tokyo 1999;
  • visiting professor at Kwansei Gakuin University in Nishinomiya in 2002, 2004 and 2007.