Juridisch Nederlands

Level 6

In legal and official Dutch, hierbij (hereby) and voorgenoemde (aforementioned) are essential tools for precision. Hierbij is a performative word that makes an action official at the moment of writing, while voorgenoemde ensures there is no doubt about which person or thing is being discussed.

How It Works

Legal Dutch requires absolute clarity and a formal tone. These patterns are pillars of that style:

1. Hierbij and Bij dezen (Hereby)
In standard Dutch, hierbij often means 'attached'. In a legal context, it is performative, meaning the act of writing the word carries out the legal act itself.

  • Bij dezen: You will often encounter this archaic variant in formal correspondence. It uses a remnant dative case ending.
  • Word Order: In the formal written style, pronominal adverbs like hierbij or daarmee are almost never split. While splitting is common in speech, it is avoided in legal drafting to maintain a tight, professional structure.

2. Voorgenoemde and Voornoemd (Aforementioned)
These words are used for anaphoric reference—pointing back to something already named to prevent ambiguity.

  • Inflection: Voorgenoemde usually functions as an inflected adjective (de voorgenoemde persoon).
  • Zero-Article Quirk: In traditional legal shorthand, the variant voornoemd is frequently used without a definite article and without an -e ending (e.g., voornoemd besluit instead of het voorgenoemde besluit).
  • Substantive use: It can stand alone as a noun: het voorgenoemde (the aforementioned thing).

Note on Modern Usage: The Klare Taal (Clear Language) movement encourages using simpler demonstrative pronouns like deze or dit to make documents more accessible, though the formal terms remain standard in professional practice.

Examples (6)

  1. Ondergetekende verklaart hierbij op de hoogte te zijn van de voorwaarden.

    The undersigned hereby declares to be aware of the conditions.

    Word by Word: Undersigned declares hereby on the height to be of the conditions.

    Here, 'hierbij' makes the declaration official and legally binding at the moment of signing.

  2. De voorgenoemde partijen komen overeen de huurprijs te indexeren.

    The aforementioned parties agree to index the rental price.

    Word by Word: The aforementioned parties come together the rent-price to index.

    'Voorgenoemde' specifies exactly which parties are being discussed, based on the names listed earlier in the contract.

  3. In afwijking van het voorgenoemde kan de overeenkomst worden beëindigd.

    In deviation from the aforementioned, the agreement may be terminated.

    Word by Word: In deviation of the aforementioned can the agreement be terminated.

    In this case, 'het voorgenoemde' is used as a noun to refer to a previously mentioned clause or rule.

  4. Hierbij machtig ik mijn advocaat om namens mij op te treden.

    I hereby authorize my lawyer to act on my behalf.

    Word by Word: Hereby authorize I my lawyer for on-behalf-of me up to tread.

    'Hierbij' is used here to grant legal power of attorney through the document itself.

  5. Bij dezen wordt u gesommeerd de betaling binnen veertien dagen te voldoen.

    You are hereby summoned to fulfill the payment within fourteen days.

    Word by Word: By these is you summoned the payment within fourteen days to fulfill.

    'Bij dezen' is a highly formal, archaic variant of 'hierbij' frequently used in legal summons and official correspondence.

  6. Voornoemd besluit is op 1 januari in werking getreden.

    The aforementioned decision came into effect on January 1st.

    Word by Word: Aforementioned decision is on 1 January in working stepped.

    In traditional legal shorthand, 'voornoemd' is often used without an article and without the -e inflection.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'voorgenoemde' in casual conversation or informal emails.

    Different MeaningIk heb de voorgenoemde appel gegeten.
    Ik heb die appel gegeten.

    Using legal jargon in daily life sounds robotic or overly stiff. Stick to 'die' or 'deze' for everyday references.

  • Splitting 'hierbij' in a formal legal document.

    Ik verklaar het hier bij.
    Ik verklaar hierbij.

    While splitting pronominal adverbs is common in spoken Dutch, legal Dutch requires the word to remain a single unit for formal weight.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

Juridisch NederlandsLevel 6

Learn This First

To understand legal Dutch (Juridisch Nederlands), a learner must be comfortable with formal registers and the construction of pronominal adverbs (like 'hierbij', 'voorgenoemde', 'waarin'). It also requires familiarity with archaic grammatical remnants, such as the genitive case, which persist in legal formulas and official documentation.