Dr. Suzan Verberk

Justice Transformation Lead, Netherlands

For almost 20 years now, my professional focus has been on the administration of justice and how to make this process more effective and meaningful. “For justice to be done, the real-life effects of justice systems need to be taken into account. Legal reasoning alone is not enough. Quality of justice requires a genuine concern for the impact on users and on society.”

Suzan Verberk works as a consultant for Hiil where she has taken the role of Justice Transformation Lead Netherlands directing the project ‘Changing Gears for Justice’. Focusing on criminal law, the aim is to contribute to a system that is more tailored to the needs of those involved: offenders, victims and society alike. Where is the need and opportunity for change? What would a more effective and needs-based system look like? How could this be operationalised and made measurable? Together with the organisations in the criminal justice system these questions will be explored and translated into concrete innovations for change.

Suzan holds a PhD in sociology of law and published her dissertation on problem-solving justice and responsive law in 2011. She also has a master’s degree in political science and public administration. She has worked as a researcher, consultant and independent expert, as a visiting scholar at the Center for the Study of Law and Society at UC Berkeley, and more recently as a strategic advisor at the Council for the Judiciary of the Netherlands. At the Council she coordinated the research program and headed a team facilitating innovations within the Dutch court system.

Suzan divides her personal life between two beautiful cities: Amsterdam and Paris.

Contact info

suzan.verberk@hiil.org
+31 70 762 0700
+31 6 43580188