{"id":14577,"date":"2026-10-25T11:43:35","date_gmt":"2026-10-25T10:43:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.deintegriteitscoordinator.nl\/evaluation-of-free-legal-assistance-and-mediation-for-whistleblowers\/"},"modified":"2026-10-25T11:43:36","modified_gmt":"2026-10-25T10:43:36","slug":"evaluation-of-free-legal-assistance-and-mediation-for-whistleblowers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.deintegriteitscoordinator.nl\/en\/evaluation-of-free-legal-assistance-and-mediation-for-whistleblowers\/","title":{"rendered":"Evaluation of Free Legal Assistance and Mediation for Whistleblowers"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The free legal aid program for whistleblowers has proven to be useful, but there is still room for significant improvement, according to the evaluation of legal aid for whistleblowers.<\/p>\n

Since early 2024, individuals reporting suspected misconduct have been able to receive free legal assistance and mediation following a referral from the Advisory Department of the House for Whistleblowers (House). The program was initially established for a period of four years. It was recently evaluated<\/a> by the KWINK group. <\/p>\n

At the same time, free psychosocial support is available; see our article on the evaluation of free psychosocial support for those who report incidents.<\/a><\/p>\n

Evaluation<\/u><\/p>\n

The primary purpose of the provision is to lower the barrier to reporting and to strengthen the legal protection of whistleblowers. According to researchers from the KWINK Group, the program was established following the 2020 evaluation of the Whistleblower Act (conducted by the KWINK Group). However, the EU Directive on the Protection of Whistleblowers also stipulates that whistleblowers must be supported through free (legal) advice, legal aid, psychological assistance, and financial support. In our view, this last aspect has, incidentally, been largely ignored by successive governments. <\/p>\n

The subsidy program is primarily intended for whistleblowers, following a referral from the House\u2019s Advisory Department. In this process, the advisor assesses, among other things, whether or not there is a potential wrongdoing and whether legal assistance or mediation is warranted. The individual then receives a so-called \u201creferral letter.\u201d This process is being used more and more frequently, although the numbers are not yet overwhelming. As of early 2026, the total stood at 27 matched requests; in these cases, a whistleblower was indeed able to receive free legal assistance from an attorney. Third parties involved and individuals assisting a whistleblower may also use this service. The report does not indicate whether this actually occurs. <\/p>\n

The organization of legal aid and mediation is currently the responsibility of the Legal Aid Board (Raad voor Rechtsbijstand, here called the Board). The Board was designated for this purpose because it has experience with similar programs. The Board handles the matching process with affiliated attorneys and mediators. According to the KWINK Group, this system is largely functioning as intended. However, it also identifies two major bottlenecks, namely: <\/p>\n