Schepen

A "schepen" (Dutch pl. "schepenen", French "échevin", pl. "échevins", German "Schöffe", pl. "Schöffen") is a local government official in Dutch- or German-speaking countries.

Belgium

In Flanders a "schepen" is the Dutch term used for a municipal councillor that has an executive function. "Schepen" is not a word in English and there is no direct English equivalent. The closest English equivalent is "alderman" [Van Dale "Groot Woordenboek Nederlands-Engels"] .

Each Flemish municipality has an elected council. During the first meeting of a newly elected municipal council, the councillors vote in a secret ballot to determine who will be a "schepen". An absolute majority (more than half the votes) is required for a "schepen" to be voted in.

Once voted in by the municipal council, the "schepenen" serve along with the mayor as part of the municipal executive, which is charged with responsibility for the day-to-day management of municipal affairs. In Dutch, this municipal executive is referred to as the "college van burgemeester en schepenen".

The "schepenen" are often assigned portfolios such as culture, education or spatial planning. They have certain executive responsibilities relating to their portfolios and thus assist the mayor in governing the municipality.

The total number of "schepenen" in a municipality depends on the population. A large city like Antwerp has ten "schepenen", while Herstappe, the smallest community in Belgium, has two.

Since a "schepen" is a member of the municipal council, to remain a "schepen" he or she is required to be an elected councillor. Since 2006, Belgian citizenship has not been a requirement.

The Netherlands

In the Netherlands, the term "schepen" is no longer used. It has been replaced by "wethouder".

Historically, the "schepenen" had several administrative and judicial functions in the administration of a Dutch "heerlijkheid". Collectively the "schepenen" were often referred to as the "schepenbank". One of the functions of the "schepenbank" was to pass judgment on criminals, so when acting in this capacity they functioned like a jury or judicial bench. Because of this judicial function, the word "schepen" is often translated into English as "magistrate" in this Dutch historical context. [For example, see Simon Schama, "The Embarrassment of Riches" and J.L. Price, "Dutch Society 1588-1713"]

The phrase "schout en schepenen" appears in many legal documents from before the Napoleonic period, including the civil registration of marriages. Depending on the context and in what capacity they were acting, this phrase could mean something like "mayor and aldermen" (i.e. the town council) or it could mean "the sheriff and magistrates".

The office of "schepen" was abolished by the Napoleonic reforms at the end of the Ancien Régime.

Origin

The word "schepen" probably derived from the Latin word "scabinus". Originally a "schepen" was a member of a council of "judgment-finders" ("oordeelvinders") that sat at a mandatory public assembly called a "thing" ("ding"). Their judgments originally required ratification by a majority of the people present. Later, after the obligation to attend the thing ("dingplicht") fell away, ratification was no longer required.

Notes