Ernst Hirsch Ballin

His Excellency Ernst Hirsch Ballin
Ernst Hirsch Ballin in 2007
Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations of the Netherlands
In office 23 February 2010 – 14 October 2010
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Guusje Ter Horst
Succeeded by	Piet Hein Donner
In office 10 January 1994 – 18 January 1994
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Ien Dales
Succeeded by	Ed van Thijn
Minister of Justice of the Netherlands
In office 22 September 2006 – 14 October 2010
Prime Minister	Jan Peter Balkenende
Preceded by	Rita Verdonk
Succeeded by	Ivo Opstelten (as Minister of Security and Justice)
In office 7 November 1989 – 27 May 1994
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Frits Korthals Altes
Succeeded by	Aad Kosto
Member of the Council of State of the Netherlands
In office 1 November 2000 – 22 September 2006
Monarch	Beatrix
Member of the Senate of the Netherlands
In office 13 June 1995 – 1 November 2000
Member of the House of Representatives
In office 17 May 1994 – 1 June 1995
Minister for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs of the Netherlands
In office 7 November 1989 – 27 May 1994
Prime Minister	Ruud Lubbers
Preceded by	Ruud Lubbers
Succeeded by	Joris Voorhoeve
Personal details
Born	Ernst Maurits Henricus Hirsch (1950-12-15) 15 December 1950 Amsterdam, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	Christian Democratic Appeal
Spouse(s)	Maria Koppe (m. 1977)
Children	2 children
Residence	Tilburg, Netherlands
Alma mater	University of Amsterdam (Bachelor of Laws, Master of Laws, Doctor of Philosophy)
Occupation	Politician Civil servant Jurist Professor Author
Religion	Judaism (until 1968) Roman Catholicism (from 1968)

Ernst Maurits Henricus Hirsch Ballin (born 15 December 1950) is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA).

Hirsch Ballin served as Minister of Justice and Minister for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs from 7 November 1989 until 27 May 1994 in the Cabinet Lubbers III. And as acting Minister of the Interior from 10 January 1994 until 18 January 1994 following the death of Ien Dales. He became a Member of the House of Representatives from 17 May 1994 until 1 June 1995 and served as a Member of the Senate from 13 June 1995 until 1 November 2000 when he resigned to become a Member of the Council of State serving from 1 November 2000 until 22 September 2006 when he resigned to become Minister of Justice in the Cabinet Balkenende III following the resignation of Piet Hein Donner. After the Dutch general election of 2006 and the inauguration of the Cabinet Balkenende IV he remained Minister of Justice serving from 22 September 2006 until 14 October 2010. He became again acting Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations from 23 February 2010 until 14 October 2010 following the resignation of Guusje Ter Horst.

After the Dutch general election of 2010, he made an appeal to his party not to work with Party for Freedom (PVV) to begin a cabinet formation for a new cabinet. After the success of the formation he was not offered a new position in the new Cabinet Rutte, and returned as a Professor at the University of Amsterdam and the Tilburg University as a legal scholar.

Hirsch Ballin is also an active member of the Justice Leadership Initiative.

Biography

Early life

Hirsch Ballin was born to a Jewish father Prof. Dr. Ernst Danny Hirsch Ballin, and a Roman Catholic mother. After completing his secondary education, he studied law at the University of Amsterdam and became a practicing Catholic.

He graduated in 1974, and he received a Master of Laws degree. He received a Doctor of Philosophy degree in 1979 for his dissertation on public law and policy, which focussed on fundamental issues surrounding the work of the Advisory Council on Government Policy (WRR).

Hirsch Ballin was a research assistant in constitutional law at the University of Amsterdam from 1974 to 1977. He was subsequently employed as a legal officer at the Ministry of Justice. In 1981 he was appointed professor of constitutional and administrative law at the Tilburg University.

Politics

File:Ernst Hirsch Ballin.jpg

Hirsch Ballin in 2009.

From 7 November 1989 to 27 May 1994 Hirsch Ballin served as Minister of Justice and Minister for Suriname and Netherlands Antilles Affairs in the Cabinet Lubbers III. In 1994 he offered his resignation, after turmoil about the Dutch Criminal Investigation Department.

After the Cabinet Kok I with a coalition of the Dutch Labour Party, People's Party for Freedom and Democracy and Democrats 66 came to power the Christian Democratic Appeal was pushed to the opposition and Hirsch Ballin became a Member of the House of Representatives a post he held until 1995.

During this period he was also professor of legislative issues at the Tilburg University. In 1995 he was appointed professor of international law at the same university and later became Member of the Senate. He was elected as a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2005. In 2000 Hirsch Ballin was appointed to the Dutch Council of State and he resigned as a Member of the Senate.

Hirsch Ballin has held numerous other positions, among them government commissioner for the review of legislation, member of the Board of the Netherlands Atlantic Association, member of Committee 2004 (for the relationship between the Netherlands, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba) and deputy justice on the Central Appeals Tribunal and the Administrative Court for Trade and Industry. He has been editor of the Dutch administrative law journal "Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Bestuursrecht" and the book series European and International Law.

On 23 May 2008 satirical cartoonist Gregorius Nekschot was arrested which caused (inter)national controversy. Hirsch Ballin wanted to pass a bill on blasphemy, but failed. He was accused of causing the cartoonist to be brought to court for blasphemy to get a verdict to bypass the parliament.

Trivia

Ernst Hirsch Ballin is married; he and his wife, have two children.

Decorations

• Order of the Netherlands Lion
  • Knight (8 October 1994)
• Order of Orange-Nassau
  • Officer (3 December 2010)
• Legion d'Honneur
  • Officer (30 Oktober 2014)

External links

• (Dutch) Prof.Dr. E.M.H. (Ernst) Hirsch Ballin (Parlement & Politiek)

Government offices
Preceded by Frits Korthals Altes	Minister of Justice 1989-1994	Succeeded by Aad Kosto
Preceded by Ruud Lubbers	Minister for Netherlands Antilles and Aruba Affairs 1989-1994	Succeeded by Joris Voorhoeve
Preceded by Ien Dales	Minister of the Interior 1994	Succeeded by Ed van Thijn
Preceded by Rita Verdonk	Minister of Justice 2006-2010	Succeeded by Ivo Opstelten (as Minister of Security and Justice)
Preceded by Guusje Ter Horst	Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations 2010	Succeeded by Piet Hein Donner