Emiel is a highly experienced media lawyer who has represented (inter)national media, journalists and human rights defenders in cases about the freedom of speech. Those cases always revolve around current issues such as the right to forgotten, fake news, ‘SLAPPs’ or the #metoo debate. He has special expertise in the field of whistleblowers and (international) investigative journalism. He also advises and litigates on matters relating to the right to protest, copyright and media regulation (in particular the Audiovisual Media Services Directive).
Furthermore, the practice of Emiel consists of assisting clients with (strategic) litigations about issues of public interest. For instance, he is currently involved in a climate litigation case against the State of the Netherlands, and several years ago he handled a case against the European Union about the financing of a project in Eritrea for which forced labor was used. He also handled many cases about human rights in the context of tech and the internet. Emiel is experienced in litigation in several fora: apart from the courts of the Netherlands also the European Court of Human Rights and the various UN mechanisms.
Emiel studied in Utrecht at the University College Utrecht and graduated cum laude in public international law. During his studies he worked for several years at the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights in Utrecht. He regularly gives lectures and comments on current issues in the media. He is also a passionate hip hop head, beatcreator and MC.