Jan Pieter Hendrik "Piet Hein" Donner (born 20 October 1948) is a retired

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

politician of the

Christian Democratic Appeal The Christian Democratic Appeal ( nl, Christen-Democratisch Appèl, ; CDA) is a Christian-democratic political party in the Netherlands. It was originally formed in 1977 from a confederation of the Catholic People's Party, the Anti-Revolution ...

(CDA) party and jurist. He was granted the honorary title of

Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. I ...

on 21 December 2018.

Early life and career

The Donner family has produced a number of

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John C ...

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

s. Piet Hein Donner's father,

André Donner Andreas Matthias Donner (15 June 1918 in Rotterdam – 24 August 1992 in Amersfoort) was a Dutch judge and the second President of the European Court of Justice, a position which he served between 1958 and 1964. Early life Donner stems from ...

, was a judge at the

European Court of Justice The European Court of Justice (ECJ, french: Cour de Justice européenne), formally just the Court of Justice, is the supreme court of the European Union in matters of European Union law. As a part of the Court of Justice of the European U ...

between 1958 and 1979, and was part of the government commission that looked into

Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld , house = Lippe , father = Prince Bernhard of Lippe , mother = Armgard von Cramm , birth_date = , birth_name = Count Bernhard of Biesterfeld , birth_place = Jena, Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach, Germany , death_date = ...

's dealings with the

Lockheed Corporation The Lockheed Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer. Lockheed was founded in 1926 and later merged with Martin Marietta to form Lockheed Martin in 1995. Its founder, Allan Lockheed, had earlier founded the similarly named but ot ...

. His grandfather was

Jan Donner Jan Donner (3 February 1891 – 2 February 1981) was a Dutch politician of the defunct Anti-Revolutionary Party (ARP) now merged into the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and jurist. He was granted the honorary title of Minister of State on 16 ...

, who served as Minister of Justice for the

Anti-Revolutionary Party The Anti-Revolutionary Party ( nl, Anti-Revolutionaire Partij, ARP) was a Protestant conservative and Christian democratic political party in the Netherlands. The party was founded in 1879 by Abraham Kuyper, a neo-Calvinist theologian and mi ...

in the

first De Geer cabinet The First De Geer cabinet was the cabinet of the Netherlands from 8 March 1926 until 10 August 1929. The cabinet was formed by the political parties Roman Catholic State Party (RKSP), Anti-Revolutionary Party The Anti-Revolutionary Party ...

and was later president of the Dutch

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

. His uncle

Jan Hein Donner Johannes Hendrikus (Hein) Donner (July 6, 1927 – November 27, 1988) was a Dutch chess grandmaster (GM) and writer. Donner was born in The Hague and won the Dutch Championship in 1954, 1957, and 1958. He took part in the Internacional Chess Tou ...

was a chess grandmaster and author. Donner attended a gymnasium in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...

from March 1961 until May 1967 and applied at the

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam The Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (abbreviated as ''VU Amsterdam'' or simply ''VU'' when in context) is a public research university in Amsterdam, Netherlands, being founded in 1880. The VU Amsterdam is one of two large, publicly funded research ...

in June 1967, majoring in

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vario ...

and obtaining an

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...

degree in April 1969 before graduating with a

Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mo ...

degree in July 1973. During his study, he joined the student society L.A.N.X. in 1968. Donner applied at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County. The 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all ...

in September 1973 for a

postgraduate education Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and st ...

in Law, working as a student researcher before obtaining an

Juris Doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice l ...

degree in July 1976. Donner worked as a civil servant from July 1976 until December 1997, for the department of Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Economic Affairs from August 1976 until March 1981, as a

paralegal A paralegal, also known as a legal assistant, or paralegal specialist is a professional who performs tasks that require knowledge of legal concepts but not the full expertise of a lawyer with a license to practice law. The market for paralegals i ...

for the office of Juridical Support of the

House of Representatives House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...

from March 1981 until November 1984, and for the department of Public Law of the

Ministry of Justice A Ministry of Justice is a common type of government department that serves as a justice ministry. Lists of current ministries of justice Named "Ministry" * Ministry of Justice (Abkhazia) * Ministry of Justice (Afghanistan) * Ministry of Justi ...

from November 1984 until January 1990. In December 1989 Donner was appointed as a member of the

Scientific Council for Government Policy The Scientific Council for Government Policy ( Dutch: Wetenschappelijke Raad voor het Regeringsbeleid, WRR) is an independent think tank of the Government of the Netherlands based in The Hague, whose members include prominent social scientists, ...

(WRR), taking office on 1 January 1990. In December 1992 Donner was nominated as director of the WRR, taking office on 1 January 1993. In December 1997 Donner was nominated as a member of the

Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...

. He was installed as a Member of the Council of State, taking office on 22 December 1997, resigning as director of the WRR on the same day.

Political career

After the 2002 general election, Donner was appointed '' informateur'' for the

cabinet formation Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filin ...

. Following the cabinet formation, Donner was appointed as

Minister of Justice A justice ministry, ministry of justice, or department of justice is a ministry or other government agency in charge of the administration of justice. The ministry or department is often headed by a minister of justice (minister for justice in a ...

in the

first Balkenende cabinet The first Balkenende cabinet was the executive branch of the Netherlands government from 22 July 2002 until 27 May 2003. The cabinet was formed by the Christian-democratic Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), the nationalistic Pim Fortuyn List ...

, taking office on 22 July 2002. The cabinet resigned just four months later on 16 October, and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity. After the succeeding 2003 general election, Donner retained his ministerial post in the

second Balkenende cabinet The second Balkenende cabinet was the executive branch of the Government of the Netherlands from 27 May 2003 until 7 July 2006. The cabinet was formed by the Christian-democratic Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA), the conservative-liberal Peo ...

, which took office on 27 May 2003. In 2006, Donner recorded a rap song together with Meester G to explain his point of view on the Dutch soft-drug policy in response to a song by Gerd Leers,

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilities of a mayor as well ...

Maastricht Maastricht ( , , ; li, Mestreech ; french: Maestricht ; es, Mastrique ) is a city and a municipality in the southeastern Netherlands. It is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg. Maastricht is located on both sides of the ...

with punk band Heideroosjes, which called for a more progressive policy which would not only regulate the selling of soft drugs, but also legalise their production. The second Balkenende cabinet fell on 30 June 2006 after the Democrats 66 had lost confidence in Minister for Integration and Asylum Affairs

Rita Verdonk Maria Cornelia Frederika "Rita" Verdonk (born 18 October 1955) is a retired Dutch politician of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and later founder of the Proud of the Netherlands (Trots) party and businesswoman. Verdonk attend ...

, and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity until 7 July, when it was replaced by the

caretaker Caretaker may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''The Caretaker'' (film), a 1963 adaptation of the play ''The Caretaker'' * '' The Caretakers'', a 1963 American film set in a mental hospital * Caretaker, a character in the 1974 film '' ...

third Balkenende cabinet, with Donner remaining Minister of Justice. On 13 September 2006, Donner was the subject of controversy when he suggested Islamic law could be established in the Netherlands by democratic means. He responded by a clarification that he was not advocating such a scenario but warning against it. In the same month, a Dutch Safety Board report into a fire at Schiphol Airport jail was released, condemning Dutch government officials. Donner and Minister of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment Sybilla Dekker, as politically responsible cabinet members, resigned following the report's conclusions. Donner was succeeded by Ernst Hirsch Ballin, who had been justice minister in the third Lubbers cabinet. Donner was elected to the

in the 2006 general election, taking office on 30 November 2006. Following the succeeding cabinet formation, Donner was appointed Minister of Social Affairs and Employment in the

fourth Balkenende cabinet The fourth Balkenende cabinet was the executive branch of the Government of the Netherlands from 22 February 2007 until 14 October 2010. The cabinet was formed by the Christian-democratic Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) and Christian Unio ...

, taking office on 22 February 2007. This cabinet resigned on 20 February 2010 after tensions in the coalition over the extension of Dutch involvement in the

Task Force Uruzgan Task Force Uruzgan (TFU) was Australia's and the Netherlands' contribution to NATO's Regional Command South, International Security Assistance Force, in Afghanistan. The Dutch led one of the four Provincial Reconstruction Teams in the southern r ...

mission of the

International Security Assistance Force The International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) was a multinational military mission in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2014. It was established by United Nations Security Council United Nations Security Council Resolution 1386, Resolution 1386 pursua ...

(ISAF) in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is borde ...

, and continued to serve in a demissionary capacity. In March 2010, Donner announced that he would not stand in the election of that year. Following the 2010 cabinet formation, Donner was appointed as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations in the

first Rutte cabinet The first Rutte cabinet, also called the Rutte–Verhagen cabinet was the executive branch of the Government of the Netherlands from 14 October 2010 until 5 November 2012. The cabinet was formed by the conservative-liberal People's Party for Fr ...

, taking office on 14 October 2010. In December 2011 Donner was nominated as Vice-President of the Council of State. He resigned as Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations on 16 December 2011 and was installed as Vice-President of the Council of State on 1 February 2012, serving until 1 November 2018. Donner also served as a distinguished professor of

Minority rights Minority rights are the normal individual rights as applied to members of racial, ethnic, class, religious, linguistic or gender and sexual minorities, and also the collective rights accorded to any minority group. Civil-rights movements ...

Leiden University Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; nl, Universiteit Leiden) is a public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. The university was founded as a Protestant university in 1575 by William, Prince of Orange, as a reward to the city o ...

, holding the Cleveringa Chair, from 1 September 2015 until 1 September 2016.Donner naar Raad van State
NOS, 16 December 2011

Later activities

Since his retirement, Donner has occupied numerous seats as nonprofit director for supervisory boards in the business and industry world and several international non-governmental organisations and research institutes, including the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy, the

Rijksmuseum van Oudheden The (English: National Museum of Antiquities) is the national archaeological museum of the Netherlands, located in Leiden. It grew out of the collection of Leiden University and still closely co-operates with its Faculty of Archaeology. The ...

, the Netherlands Atlantic Association, the

Royal Netherlands Historical Society The Royal Netherlands Historical Society ( nl, Koninklijk Nederlands Historisch Genootschap, or KNHG), founded 1845 under the name Historisch Gezelschap, is a historical society that also functions as a professional association of academic histori ...

and the Carnegie Foundation. He also served on several state commissions on behalf of the government.

Decorations

References

External links

;Official *
Prof.Mr. J.P.H. (Piet Hein) Donner
Parlement & Politiek {{DEFAULTSORT:Donner, Piet Hein 1948 births Living people Christian Democratic Appeal politicians Directors of the Scientific Council for Government Policy Dutch expatriates in the United States Dutch legal scholars Dutch nonprofit directors Dutch nonprofit executives Grand Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau Humanities academics Leiden University faculty Members of the Council of State (Netherlands) Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands) Members of the Scientific Council for Government Policy Ministers of Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands Ministers of Justice of the Netherlands Ministers of Social Affairs of the Netherlands Ministers of State (Netherlands) Ministers of the Interior of the Netherlands Politicians from Amsterdam Politicians from The Hague Protestant Church Christians from the Netherlands Reformed Churches Christians from the Netherlands University of Michigan Law School alumni Vice-presidents of the Council of State (Netherlands) Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam alumni 20th-century Dutch civil servants 20th-century Dutch jurists 20th-century Dutch politicians 21st-century Dutch civil servants 21st-century Dutch educators 21st-century Dutch jurists 21st-century Dutch politicians