The Kingdom Council of Ministers has approved the appointment of Mr. MJ (Mauritsz) de Kort as Governor of Curaçao. He succeeds the current Governor Mrs. LA (Lucille) George-Wout, whose second term expires on 4 November. The appointment is for a period of six years and will take effect on 4 November 2025.
Mauritsz de Kort (51 years old) has been president of the Joint Court of Justice of Aruba, Curaçao, Sint Maarten and of Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba since 2022. Previously, between 2017 and 2022, he was a board member of the Joint Court as vice-president of the Curaçao and Bonaire offices. He started his career as a lawyer, at law firms in Curaçao, Sint Maarten and Aruba and has been a judge since 2011. He studied at the University of Leiden and the University of London, among others. During his career, he held various board positions at cultural and social organizations in Curaçao and Sint Maarten.
The Governor of Curaçao represents the King and is in that capacity the head of the government of Curaçao. The ministers are accountable to the Estates of Curaçao for the actions of the Governor. As an organ of the Kingdom, the Governor represents the government of the Kingdom. The term of office of the Governor is six years. After this period, the King can reappoint the Governor once for a maximum of six years.