At a detention hearing in Belgium, a judge of the council chamber (raadkamer) decides behind closed doors whether detention continues after an arrest warrant. The first hearing falls within five days of the warrant being executed. A new hearing follows after one month, and later every two months. The family waits outside; the lawyer is your point of contact.<\/p>\n
The council chamber checks whether the arrest warrant is lawful and decides whether detention is still needed, and in what form.<\/p>\n
The judge first hears the public prosecutor (procureur des Konings). Then the suspect and his lawyer speak.<\/p>\n
The council chamber can do three things:<\/p>\n
There is no separate bail hearing in Belgium. The security deposit is one of the options the council chamber weighs at this same hearing.<\/p>\n
If the council chamber keeps the detention, it must give reasons based on the concrete circumstances of the case.<\/p>\n
In the room are the judge, the court clerk (griffier), the public prosecutor, the suspect and his lawyer. The family may not attend the hearing.<\/p>\n
The hearing is not public. That protects the investigation and the presumption of innocence.<\/p>\n
For the family this often means waiting in the corridor of the courthouse.<\/p>\n
Your family member is usually brought from the prison to the hearing.<\/p>\n
It is normal that you see little. Your lawyer can tell you after the hearing how it went.<\/p>\n
After the arrest warrant, a fixed rhythm of hearings follows for as long as the detention lasts and the investigation runs.<\/p>\n