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Nieuwland: Een ontwerp voor de digitale rechtsstaat

Nieuwland: Een ontwerp voor de digitale rechtsstaat

A. Widlak, T. Olthof, M. van Andel, M. Lokin, D. de Koning, R. Damhof
Achterkant van de Overheid · January 1, 2026
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Nieuwland is a design for the digital constitutional state — a positive ideal showing how digitalisation can contribute to greater transparency, control and humanity in government action.

The publication emerged from the Backside of Government Think Tank and was first presented to Members of Parliament on 11 February 2026.

Summary

Nieuwland asks: what could a healthy, desirable digital constitutional state look like? The answer is not a utopia, but a step-by-step feasible design — new alongside old — built around four pillars:

  1. Nieuwlands organising — distributing information power among all branches of government, citizens and society
  2. Nieuwlands registering — separating recordings, interpretations and decisions
  3. Nieuwlands designing — systems designed for the actual needs of all stakeholders
  4. Nieuwlands norming — managing information power as a constitutional imperative

“The past is written, but the future is left for us to write.” — Jean-Luc Picard

Publication details

  • Authors: Arjan Widlak, Timen Olthof, Marc van Andel, Mariette Lokin, Daan de Koning, Ronald Damhof
  • First edition: January 2026
  • First presentation: 11 February 2026
  • Publisher: BoomBestuurskunde
  • Licence: CC BY 4.0

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