West flanders Court Appeals Disciplinary Ruling in Magistrate Exam Fraud Case
Ypres, Belgium – The Chairman of the Court of First Instance of West Flanders has filed an appeal against the August 8, 2025 disciplinary ruling concerning Judge EW, involved in a case of potential exam fraud within the Supreme Court of Justice. The appeal challenges the disciplinary bench’s decision to impose a one-month suspension of pay (“withdrawal of Wedde“) on Judge W.
The initial investigation, launched March 8, 2024, revealed Judge W. was aware of a potential breach of professional secrecy – specifically, the leaking of exam questions to candidates preparing for the Supreme Court Examination Board. However, the disciplinary bench determined it hadn’t been proven she knew in advance that exam questions would be revealed, stating she “at most… knew in advance that there could be coaching, for example by providing cases from previous exams.”
Despite finding Judge W. failed to report the potential fraud, thereby undermining public trust in the judiciary, the bench opted for a relatively lenient sanction. They cited her resumption of professional duties without incident in the past judicial year, a “very good” performance evaluation from January 3, 2025, and her previously unblemished disciplinary record, concluding “a repetition of such facts… is also almost excluded.”
The appeal,filed by the Chairman acting as disciplinary government,means the Dutch-speaking disciplinary court in Brussels will now review the case.
Separately, the husband of Judge W., a Bruges department procurer, also faced disciplinary action. While the Ghent Disciplinary Court on August 8th did not dismiss him, he did lose his mandates as department procurer and first-substitute Attorney des Konings, a decision the West-Flemish attorney of the King is also considering appealing.
