In the context of the

law of the Netherlands The Netherlands uses civil law. The role of case law is small in theory, although in practice it is impossible to understand the law in many fields without also taking into account the relevant case law. The Dutch system of law is based on the ...

, the term gedogen (

toleration Toleration is the allowing, permitting, or acceptance of an action, idea, object, or person which one dislikes or disagrees with. Political scientist Andrew R. Murphy explains that "We can improve our understanding by defining "toleration" as ...

, although ''gedogen'' does not literally mean ''toleration''; one can describe it best as toleration in law) refers to not enforcing certain laws. The Dutch government tolerates some offences. Some things like possessing small amounts of

cannabis ''Cannabis'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the family Cannabaceae. The number of species within the genus is disputed. Three species may be recognized: '' Cannabis sativa'', '' C. indica'', and '' C. ruderalis''. Alternative ...

are formally forbidden by law, but the Dutch government abstains from bringing criminal charges against the offenders. Often these policies are brought about by a tension between treaty obligations and domestic politics. See policies on

and euthanasia for more information. To give an example in

layman's terms Plain English (or layman's terms) are groups of words that are to be clear and easy to know. It usually avoids the use of rare words and uncommon euphemisms to explain the subject. Plain English wording is intended to be suitable for almost anyone, ...

: a mother may tell her child he cannot have cookies from the cookie jar. The father, regardless of his beliefs, cannot tell the child it is okay to have a cookie as that would result in a conflict with the mother. If the father sees the child taking a cookie anyway, he may choose not to say anything. He may not want to punish or stop the child, but cannot condone the behavior either. The father may act as if nothing had happened to avoid a conflict with both his beliefs and the mother. He tolerates (Dutch "gedoogt") the behavior. The statutes describe it as "The basis for the 'gedoog' policy is the consideration of interests in which the interest of law enforcement needs to yield to an identifiable greater cause. It is a positive decision not to pursue and prosecute regardless of available law enforcement capacity."Aanwijzing Opiumwet
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References

{{reflist Law of the Netherlands Dutch words and phrases

Further reading

References