As the highest court in the fields of civil, criminal and tax law in the Netherlands, the Supreme Court is responsible for hearing appeals in cassation and for a number of specific tasks with which it is charged by law. The aim of cassation is to promote legal uniformity and the development of law. The court examines whether a lower court observed proper application of the law in reaching its decision. At this stage, the facts of the case as established by the lower court are no longer subject to discussion.

An Attorney General’s office is attached to the Supreme Court. Its members main task is to provide the Supreme Court with independent advice, known as an advisory opinion, on how to rule in a case.

Not only judgments of courts of appeal can be appealed  in cassation, also judgments of the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten en Bonaire, Sint Eustatius en Saba can be appealed in cassation to the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court (hogeraad.nl) is located in The Hague.