THE HAGUE, 28/01/03 - The Netherlands Bar Association is against a general requirement for everyone to always carry identification documents. If the measure is nevertheless introduced, the age threshold must go up, the association stated yesterday in recommendations to caretaker Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner.

The lawyers do not expect a general identification requirement will demonstrably improve maintenance of law and order. They consider there are already enough situations in which an identity document is required, as in traffic and public transport. Nor should the obligation apply to children younger than 16.

If a general identification requirement were introduced, police would always have to indicate why they asked for the documents. "In the event of a court case, the judge can then retrospectively check whether this was justifiable, reducing the chances of police randomly asking people for identity papers," according to a spokeswoman for the bar association.

The Christian democrats (CDA), conservatives (VVD) and Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) want to introduce compulsory identification for everyone older than 12. Leftwing parties are against the measure and fear it will lead to violation of privacy and discrimination against certain groups.