Summary
Connects Claude to the full Dutch legal corpus: 3,251 statutes from Wetten.overheid.nl, 77,531 searchable provisions, and premium tiers add 59,000+ court rulings and Kamerstukken. You get FTS5 full-text search across the BWB, AVG, Wetboek van Strafrecht, Burgerlijk Wetboek, and Mededingingswet with EU cross-references baked in. The server runs via Ansvar's OAuth gateway or self-hosted Docker with a 126MB SQLite database. Built for legal tech stacks that need citation validation, compliance lookups, or legislative history without scraping Rechtspraak.nl and EUR-Lex by hand. Daily freshness checks keep the corpus current.
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Dutch Law MCP Server
▶ Try this MCP instantly via Ansvar Gateway
50 free queries/day · no card required · OAuth signup at ansvar.eu/gateway
One endpoint, one OAuth signup, access from any MCP-compatible client.
Connect
Claude Code (one line):
claude mcp add ansvar --transport http https://gateway.ansvar.eu/mcp
Claude Desktop / Cursor — add to claude_desktop_config.json (or mcp.json):
{
"mcpServers": {
"ansvar": {
"type": "url",
"url": "https://gateway.ansvar.eu/mcp"
}
}
}
Claude.ai — Settings → Connectors → Add custom connector → paste https://gateway.ansvar.eu/mcp
First request opens an OAuth flow at ansvar.eu/gateway. After signup, your client is bound to your account; tier (free / premium / team / company) determines fan-out, quota, and which downstream MCPs are reachable.
Self-host this MCP
You can also clone this repo and build the corpus yourself. The schema, fetcher, and tool implementations all live here. What is not in the repo is the pre-built database — TDM and standards-licensing constraints on the upstream sources mean we host the corpus on Ansvar infrastructure rather than redistribute it as a public artifact.
Build your own: run this repo's ingestion script (entry-point varies per
repo — typically scripts/ingest.sh, npm run ingest, or make ingest;
check the repo root).
The Wetten.overheid.nl alternative for the AI age.
Query 3,251 Dutch statutes -- from the AVG and Wetboek van Strafrecht to the Burgerlijk Wetboek, Mededingingswet, and the full BWB corpus -- directly from Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible client.
If you're building legal tech, compliance tools, or doing Dutch legal research, this is your verified reference database.
Built by Ansvar Systems -- Stockholm, Sweden
Why This Exists
Dutch legal research is scattered across Wetten.overheid.nl, Rechtspraak.nl, Kamerstukken, and EUR-Lex. Whether you're:
- A lawyer validating citations in a brief or contract
- A compliance officer checking AVG obligations or Mededingingswet requirements
- A legal tech developer building tools on Dutch law
- A researcher tracing legislative history from Kamerstukken to wet
...you shouldn't need dozens of browser tabs and manual PDF cross-referencing. Ask Claude. Get the exact provision. With context.
This MCP server makes Dutch law searchable, cross-referenceable, and AI-readable.
Quick Start
Dutch Law is reachable through the Ansvar MCP Gateway at https://gateway.ansvar.eu. The gateway terminates OAuth, fans queries out across the Dutch corpus, and returns citation-grounded answers. There is no public unauthenticated endpoint.
Connect via Ansvar Gateway
Sign up at gateway.ansvar.eu for a Premium / Team / Company tier account, then point your client at the gateway:
Claude Desktop -- add to claude_desktop_config.json:
{
"mcpServers": {
"ansvar-gateway": {
"type": "url",
"url": "https://gateway.ansvar.eu/mcp"
}
}
}
Claude Code:
claude mcp add ansvar-gateway --transport http https://gateway.ansvar.eu/mcp
GitHub Copilot -- add to VS Code settings.json:
{
"github.copilot.chat.mcp.servers": {
"ansvar-gateway": {
"type": "http",
"url": "https://gateway.ansvar.eu/mcp"
}
}
}
The gateway authenticates via Keycloak OAuth 2.1 with Dynamic Client Registration. On first connect your client will open a browser tab for sign-in and consent.
Run Locally (Docker)
For development or air-gapped deployments, the GHCR image ships with the prebuilt SQLite database baked in:
docker run --rm -p 3009:3009 ghcr.io/ansvar-systems/dutch-law-mcp:latest
The image self-tests via the bundled HEALTHCHECK and exits non-zero if the database is missing. Watchtower-driven fleets get automatic rolling updates on every push to main.
Example Queries
Once connected, just ask naturally in Dutch or English:
- "Wat zegt de AVG artikel 5 over de beginselen voor de verwerking van persoonsgegevens?"
- "Is de Mededingingswet artikel 24 over misbruik van machtspositie nog van kracht?"
- "Zoek bepalingen over gegevensbescherming in de Nederlandse wet"
- "Welke EU-richtlijnen implementeert de AVG?"
- "Valideer de citatie 'Wetboek van Strafrecht artikel 138b'"
- "Bouw een juridisch standpunt op over privacyrecht in Nederland"
- "What does Burgerlijk Wetboek Boek 6 say about contractual liability?"
- "Find provisions about trade secrets in Dutch law"
What's Included
| Category | Count | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Statutes | 3,251 laws | Full BWB corpus from Wetten.overheid.nl (100% coverage) |
| Provisions | 77,531 sections | Full-text searchable with FTS5 |
| Premium: Case Law | 59,261 rulings | Hoge Raad, Gerechtshoven, Rechtbanken decisions |
| Premium: Preparatory Works | 2,994 documents | Kamerstukken, memorie van toelichting |
| Database Size | 126 MB | Optimized SQLite, portable |
| Daily Updates | Automated | Freshness checks against Wetten.overheid.nl |
Key Statutes Covered
| Statute | Subject |
|---|---|
| Burgerlijk Wetboek (Boek 1–10) | Civil Code -- persons, property, contracts, tort |
| Wetboek van Strafrecht | Criminal Code |
| Algemene wet bestuursrecht | General Administrative Law Act |
| Uitvoeringswet Algemene verordening gegevensbescherming (AVG) | GDPR implementation |
| Mededingingswet | Competition Act |
| Auteurswet | Copyright Act |
| Arbeidsomstandighedenwet | Working Conditions Act |
| Wet bescherming bedrijfsgeheimen | Trade Secrets Act |
| Telecommunicatiewet | Telecommunications Act (ePrivacy) |
| Wet op het financieel toezicht (Wft) | Financial Supervision Act |
Verified data only -- every citation is validated against official sources (Wetten.overheid.nl, Overheid.nl). Zero LLM-generated content.
See It In Action
Why This Works
Verbatim Source Text (No LLM Processing):
- All statute text is ingested from Wetten.overheid.nl official sources via the BWB API
- Provisions are returned unchanged from SQLite FTS5 database rows
- Zero LLM summarization or paraphrasing -- the database contains regulation text, not AI interpretations
Smart Context Management:
- Search returns ranked provisions with BM25 scoring (safe for context)
- Provision retrieval gives exact text by BWB identifier + chapter/article
- Cross-references help navigate without loading everything at once
Technical Architecture:
Wetten.overheid.nl BWB API → Parse → SQLite → FTS5 snippet() → MCP response
↑ ↑
Provision parser Verbatim database query
Traditional Research vs. This MCP
| Traditional Approach | This MCP Server |
|---|---|
| Search Wetten.overheid.nl by wet name | Search by plain Dutch: "persoonsgegevens verwerking" |
| Navigate multi-boek statutes manually | Get the exact provision with context |
| Manual cross-referencing between wetten | build_legal_stance aggregates across sources |
| "Is this statute still in force?" → check manually | check_currency tool → answer in seconds |
| Find EU basis → dig through EUR-Lex | get_eu_basis → linked EU directives instantly |
| Check Kamerstukken.nl separately | Premium get_preparatory_works → linked documents |
| No API, no integration | MCP protocol → AI-native |
Traditional: Search Wetten.overheid.nl → Open BWB page → Navigate articles → Check Kamerstukken → EUR-Lex for EU basis → Repeat
This MCP: "What EU law is the basis for AVG artikel 5 about data processing principles?" → Done.
Available Tools (15)
Core Legal Research Tools (8)
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
search_legislation | FTS5 search on 77,531 provisions with BM25 ranking |
get_provision | Retrieve specific provision by wet identifier + article number |
search_case_law | FTS5 search on case law with court/date filters |
get_preparatory_works | Get linked Kamerstukken and memorie van toelichting for a statute |
validate_citation | Validate citation against database (zero-hallucination check) |
build_legal_stance | Aggregate citations from statutes, case law, prep works |
format_citation | Format citations per Dutch conventions (full/short/pinpoint) |
check_currency | Check if statute is in force, amended, or repealed |
EU Law Integration Tools (5)
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
get_eu_basis | Get EU directives/regulations that a Dutch statute implements |
get_dutch_implementations | Find Dutch laws implementing a specific EU act |
search_eu_implementations | Search EU documents with Dutch implementation counts |
get_provision_eu_basis | Get EU law references for a specific provision |
validate_eu_compliance | Check implementation status (requires EU MCP) |
History & Metadata Tools (2)
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
get_provision_at_date | Retrieve a provision as it was at a specific historical date |
list_sources | List data sources with provenance, coverage, and freshness info |
EU Law Integration
Netherlands is a founding EU member state. Dutch law directly transposes EU directives across the full acquis communautaire.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| EU Member State | Yes (founding member, since 1958) |
| GDPR Status | Directly applicable; implemented by Uitvoeringswet AVG |
| Key Implementation | AVG → Uitvoeringswet Algemene verordening gegevensbescherming |
| Competition Law | Mededingingswet implements EU Treaty Articles 101-102 |
| ePrivacy | Telecommunicatiewet transposes ePrivacy Directive |
Dutch Law and EU Directives
- AVG (GDPR) -- GDPR is directly applicable in the Netherlands. The Uitvoeringswet AVG implements the member-state derogations and supplements. The
get_eu_basistool links AVG provisions to the underlying GDPR articles. - ePrivacy Directive -- transposed via the Telecommunicatiewet, governing electronic communications and cookie consent.
- Competition law -- Mededingingswet aligns with EU Treaty Articles 101 (cartels) and 102 (abuse of dominance) and Commission enforcement practice.
- Trade Secrets Directive -- implemented by Wet bescherming bedrijfsgeheimen (2018).
- Financial regulation -- Wet op het financieel toezicht (Wft) transposes MiFID II, the Capital Requirements Directive, and related EU financial services directives.
The EU bridge tools provide bi-directional lookup: start from a Dutch provision to find its EU basis, or start from an EU directive to find its Dutch implementation.
See EU_INTEGRATION_GUIDE.md for detailed documentation.
Premium Tier
The free tier includes all 77,531 provisions with full-text search and EU cross-references. The premium tier adds case law, preparatory works, and version history.
| Feature | Free | Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Statute search (77,531 provisions) | Yes | Yes |
| EU cross-references | Yes | Yes |
| Citation validation | Yes | Yes |
| Case law (59,261 rulings) | -- | Yes |
| Preparatory works (2,994 documents) | -- | Yes |
| Provision version history | -- | Yes |
| Amendment diffs | -- | Yes |
Premium case law covers decisions from the Hoge Raad (Supreme Court), Gerechtshoven (Courts of Appeal), and Rechtbanken (District Courts) sourced from Rechtspraak.nl.
Premium preparatory works covers Kamerstukken (parliamentary documents), memorie van toelichting (explanatory memoranda), and other preparatory materials from Overheid.nl.
Premium is enabled via PREMIUM_ENABLED=true environment variable. Contact hello@ansvar.ai for access.
Data Sources & Freshness
All content is sourced from authoritative Dutch legal databases:
- Wetten.overheid.nl -- Official consolidated statutes, Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid
- Rechtspraak.nl -- Official court decisions database
- Overheid.nl -- Official government publications portal
- EUR-Lex -- Official EU law database (metadata)
Data Provenance
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Authority | Ministerie van Justitie en Veiligheid / Overheid.nl |
| Retrieval method | Bulk download from Wetten.overheid.nl BWB API |
| Language | Dutch (primary) |
| License | Dutch-Auteurswet-Art-11 -- Dutch statutory public domain (Auteurswet Art. 11) |
| Coverage | 3,251 Dutch federal laws (100% BWB corpus) |
| Last ingested | 2026-02-22 |
Automated Freshness Checks (Daily)
A daily GitHub Actions workflow monitors all data sources:
| Source | Check | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Statute amendments | Wetten.overheid.nl date comparison | All 3,251 statutes checked |
| New statutes | BWB API publications (90-day window) | Diffed against database |
| Case law | Rechtspraak.nl feed entry count | Compared to database |
| Preparatory works | Overheid.nl Kamerstukken feed (30-day window) | New docs detected |
| EU reference staleness | Git commit timestamps | Flagged if >90 days old |
Security
This project uses multiple layers of automated security scanning:
| Scanner | What It Does | Schedule |
|---|---|---|
| CodeQL | Static analysis for security vulnerabilities | Weekly + PRs |
| Semgrep | SAST scanning (OWASP top 10, secrets, TypeScript) | Every push |
| Gitleaks | Secret detection across git history | Every push |
| Trivy | CVE scanning on filesystem and npm dependencies | Daily |
| Docker Security | Container image scanning + SBOM generation | Daily |
| Socket.dev | Supply chain attack detection | PRs |
| OSSF Scorecard | OpenSSF best practices scoring | Weekly |
| Dependabot | Automated dependency updates | Weekly |
See SECURITY.md for the full policy and vulnerability reporting.
Important Disclaimers
Legal Advice
THIS TOOL IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE
Statute text is sourced from official Wetten.overheid.nl publications. However:
- This is a research tool, not a substitute for professional legal counsel
- Court case coverage is limited -- do not rely solely on this for case law research
- Verify critical citations against primary sources for court filings
- EU cross-references are extracted from Dutch statute text and EUR-Lex metadata, not full EU law text
- Municipal and provincial legislation is not included -- this covers national (rijks) legislation only
Before using professionally, read: DISCLAIMER.md | PRIVACY.md
Client Confidentiality
Queries go through the Claude API. For privileged or confidential matters (including attorney-client privilege under the Wet op de rechtsbijstand), use on-premise deployment. See PRIVACY.md for guidance on use in Dutch legal practice.
Documentation
- EU Integration Guide -- Detailed EU cross-reference documentation
- EU Usage Examples -- Practical EU lookup examples
- Security Policy -- Vulnerability reporting and scanning details
- Disclaimer -- Legal disclaimers and professional use notices
- Privacy -- Client confidentiality and data handling
Development
Setup
git clone https://github.com/Ansvar-Systems/Dutch-law-mcp
cd Dutch-law-mcp
npm install
npm run build
npm test
Running Locally
npm run dev # Start MCP server (stdio)
npm run dev:http # Start HTTP server
npx @anthropic/mcp-inspector node dist/index.js # Test with MCP Inspector
Data Management
npm run ingest # Ingest statutes from Wetten.overheid.nl BWB API
npm run ingest:all # Full corpus ingest
npm run ingest:cases # Ingest case law from Rechtspraak.nl
npm run ingest:prep-works # Ingest Kamerstukken and preparatory works
npm run build:db # Rebuild free-tier SQLite database
npm run build:db:paid # Rebuild premium SQLite database
npm run drift:detect # Run drift detection against BWB anchors
npm run check-updates # Check for statute amendments
npm run extract:definitions # Extract legal definitions
npm run populate:xrefs # Populate EU cross-references
Performance
- Search Speed: <100ms for most FTS5 queries
- Database Size: 126 MB (efficient, portable)
- Reliability: 100% ingestion success rate
More Ansvar MCPs
Full fleet at ansvar.eu/gateway.
Contributing
Contributions welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
Priority areas:
- Court case law expansion (Hoge Raad, Gerechtshoven archive)
- EU Regulations MCP integration (full EU law text, CJEU case law)
- Historical statute versions and amendment tracking
- Lower court decisions (Rechtbanken archives)
- English translations for key statutes
Roadmap
- Core statute database -- 3,251 Dutch statutes with FTS5 search (100% BWB coverage)
- EU law integration -- cross-references to EU directives and regulations
- Premium case law -- 59,261 Hoge Raad, Gerechtshoven, and Rechtbanken rulings
- Premium preparatory works -- 2,994 Kamerstukken documents
- Hetzner GHCR deployment -- Docker-based production hosting
- npm package publication
- Full Wetten.overheid.nl coverage -- 3,251 statutes, 77,531 provisions
- Historical statute versions (amendment tracking)
- Lower court coverage (Rechtbanken archives)
- English translations for key statutes
- Web API for programmatic access
Citation
If you use this MCP server in academic research:
@software{dutch_law_mcp_2026,
author = {Ansvar Systems AB},
title = {Dutch Law MCP Server: Production-Grade Legal Research Tool},
year = {2026},
url = {https://github.com/Ansvar-Systems/Dutch-law-mcp},
note = {3,251 Dutch statutes with 77,531 provisions and EU law cross-references}
}
License
Apache License 2.0. See LICENSE for details.
Data Licenses
- Statutes & Legislation:
Dutch-Auteurswet-Art-11-- Dutch statutory public domain. Auteurswet Art. 11 (1912) states that no copyright subsists in laws, decrees or ordinances issued by public authorities, or in judicial or administrative decisions. Verified verbatim 2026-05-17 -- seedocs/audits/2026-05-17-eu-copyright-statutory-works-batch-1b-DE-IE-IT-NL-ES.md. Catalog entry:Dutch-Auteurswet-Art-11ininfrastructure/attribution-licenses.json. - Case Law: Rechtspraak.nl -- same statutory basis (Auteurswet Art. 11 judicial-decision clause)
- EU Metadata: EUR-Lex (EU public domain, Decision 2011/833/EU)
About Ansvar Systems
We build AI-accelerated compliance and legal research tools for the European market. This MCP server started as our internal reference tool for Dutch law -- turns out everyone building for the Dutch and EU market has the same research frustrations.
So we're open-sourcing it. Navigating 3,251 statutes and 77,531 provisions shouldn't require a law degree.
ansvar.eu -- Stockholm, Sweden
Built with care in Stockholm, Sweden
Featured
Keep your Mac awake while Claude Code and 40+ AI agents run. Sleeps when they're idle.
One time payment $9 →Integrate web data into your AI product. One API to scrape website & brand data.
Get API Key Now →Agent, run crypto. Access onchain data & trade routes via 1inch.
Install now →On Capafy, your Skill runs online 24/7 as an agent product, and you get paid every time someone uses it.
Start earning →