Five questions for Eva van Luijk, De Reede Advocatuur

Who are you and what is your job?

My name is Eva van Luijk and I work as a criminal defence lawyer at De Reede Advocatuur. De Reede Advocatuur assists companies and people in the maritime sector and the port area who are confronted with, as a common denominator, a form of criminal investigation. These kinds of investigations could for instance start after a work incident which caused serious injury or death but could also be related to the discovery of incorrect documents/fraud, waste related issues and/or (other) environmental damage.

What does a typical day for you look like?

As a defence lawyer, my agenda can change rapidly, especially after an incident. In general, a typical work day starts with a consultation over coffee with my colleague Erik Witjens. Hereafter, depending on the issue at hand, I might prepare for a meeting with a client or continue to work on an advice, memo or procedural document.

After starting up, I continue my work on an advice, memo or procedural document I was working on previously. After lunch I might go to the office of one of our clients for a meeting to discuss the next steps in a procedure. If I am lucky, I get to go on board of a ship operated by one of clients, to see what the situation was like during an incident.
When I get back, it’s time for the last email(s) before I head for my bike to cycle home.

What was the best advice (workwise) someone gave you?

‘The early bird catches the worm’. In our line of work this means that after an incident the main priority is to prepare for a criminal investigation and other consequences. Preparation allows you to get an edge over the other parties involved and to decide upon your strategic choices instead of passively undergoing the investigation. A timely start and a clear communication create the best opportunity make a thoughtful assessment of your options and their consequences. You want to avoid hasty decisions.

How could you be of help to others in the industry or the RMSC?

As a criminal defence attorney, first of all, I could be of help if you or your company is facing a criminal investigation. If possible, you should be in touch before the criminal investigation starts. From the moment you are expecting a criminal investigation to start, for example when one of your employees is seriously injured during a work accident, it is wise to get in touch. In such a case the Netherlands Labour Inspection (Dutch: Arbeidsinspectie) will start a criminal investigation and the sooner you are on top of the facts, the better equipped you are to make the strategic choices necessary. But we can also advise on questions of potential exposure to criminal liability.

And lastly: what’s in the news which relates directly to your profession?

Collisions and other work-related accidents with (letal) injuries are found in the papers very regularly. Other news that I follow with interest are the updates on the sanctions the EU is considering for what is called the Russian shadow fleet. Old and rusty oil tankers who transport crude Russian oil to Turkey or China and pass through the North Sea. What happens when a Dutch company assists a ship like that in any way? How far does the sanction legislation reach? Another favorite of mine are articles on location data and/or autonomous shipping, the last especially in relation to notions like good seamanship. And last but not least, the ‘new’ strategy from the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (Dutch: Inspectie Leefomgeving en Transport) to impose higher fines has my attention as well.