Albert Hendrik "Benk" Korthals (born 5 October 1944) 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

People's Party for Freedom and Democracy The People's Party for Freedom and Democracy ( nl, Volkspartij voor Vrijheid en Democratie ; VVD) is a conservative-liberal Andeweg, R. and G. Irwin ''Politics and Governance in the Netherlands'', Basingstoke (Palgrave) p.49 political party in ...

(VVD) and jurist. Korthals attended the Gymnasium Leiden from June 1957 until June 1963 and applied at the Leiden University 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 a

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 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 mos ...

degree in July 1973. Korthals worked as a lawyer and prosecutor in

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"Ne ...

from January 1974 until August 1998. Korthals was elected as a Member of the House of Representatives after the election of 1982, taking office on 16 September 1982. After the election of 1998 Korthals 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 Cabinet Kok II, taking office on 3 August 1998. After the election of 2002 Korthals returned as a Member of the House of Representatives, taking office on 23 May 2002. Following the cabinet formation of 2002 Korthals was appointment as

Minister of Defence A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...

in the Cabinet Balkenende I, taking office on 22 July 2002. On 12 December 2002 Korthals resigned following the conclusions of a

parliamentary inquiry In parliamentary procedure, requests and inquiries are motions used by members of a deliberative assembly to obtain information or to do or have something done that requires permission of the assembly. Except for a request to be excused from a duty ...

report into a construction fraud investigation that was mishandled by him while serving as Minister of Justice. Korthals also served as Chairman of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy from 22 May 2011 until 14 June 2014.Benk Korthals nieuwe voorzitter VVD
, Telegraaf, 22 April 2011

Decorations

References

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;Official *
Mr. A.H. (Benk) Korthals
Parlement & Politiek 1944 births Living people Dutch prosecutors Chairmen of the People's Party for Freedom and Democracy Leiden University alumni Members of the House of Representatives (Netherlands) Ministers of Defence of the Netherlands Ministers of Justice of the Netherlands Knights of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Officers of the Order of Orange-Nassau Politicians from Rotterdam People from Voorschoten People's Party for Freedom and Democracy politicians Royal Netherlands Navy officers 20th-century Dutch lawyers 20th-century Dutch politicians 21st-century Dutch lawyers 21st-century Dutch politicians {{Netherlands-VVD-politician-stub