Hoge Raad van Holland en Zeeland

The Hoge Raad van Holland, Zeeland en West-Friesland (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɦoːɣə ˈraːt fɑn ˈɦɔlɑnt ˈseːlɑnt ɛɱ ʋɛst ˈfrislɑnt]; usually translated in the literature as "High Court of Holland and Zeeland", though the literal translation is: "High Council of Holland and Zeeland") was the apex court of the provinces of Holland and Zeeland in the Dutch Republic in the period 1582–1795. Created by the States-General, the court was initially intended to serve as apex court for the whole Republic, but the other provinces did not recognise it, preferring to maintain their judicial autonomy. It played an important role in the formation of Roman-Dutch law, which is still officially regarded as a source of law in South Africa. Later, at the establishment of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, the court's name was borrowed for the Hoge Raad der Nederlanden (Supreme Court of the Netherlands), which still bears that name today as the Dutch apex court.