Wendela Mulder: first Dutch liaison magistrate in London
The United Kingdom (UK) is no longer part of the European Union. Brexit resulted in several changes concerning (trade)relations between UK and The Netherlands. This also applies to legal aid relationships. For the first time in the history of the Public Prosecution Office in the Netherlands a Dutch liaison magistrate therefore has been appointed in London: Wendela Mulder.
Mulder is accredited for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
She has been Attorney General at the so called ‘Ressortsparket’ since January 2019 in The Netherlands. Before 2019, she worked for many years as a Fraud team leader and senior public prosecutor at the ‘Functioneel Parket’ in The Netherlands.
Liaison Magistrate
A liaison magistrate is the linking pin between the judicial authorities in the UK and the Netherlands. The liaison magistrate builds up a relevant network on site. The liaison magistrate is an essential link between the Dutch and the foreign Public Prosecution Service where the liaison magistrate is stationed.
The Dutch Public Prosecution Service intends to intensify international cooperation, because crime does not stop at national borders and crime is becoming more and more international. This also increases the need for international cooperation. It applies in particular to larger cases, such as international fraud, people smuggling, money laundering, confiscation, terrorism, cybercrime, internationally operating drug cartels. And other forms of crime in which people, goods, data or money move around the world.
Already in Rome and Madrid
The Public Prosecution Service has had a liaison magistrate in Italy (Rome) ever since 2014 and also in Spain (Madrid) since mid-2019. The intention is to increase the number of liaison magistrates abroad in the future.