This volume of the Netherlands Institute for Law and Governance Series is the result of a PhD
Roundtable Forum on the theme: 'When Private Actors Contribute to Public Interests' held on the
19th of April 2012 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Traditionally, when we think of the actors responsible for securing or protecting fundamental interests
of society, we think of public actors - state authorities, government officials, the judiciary,
enforcement officers, and politicians. However, the focus of this book is to reflect on the role private
actors play in regard to fundamental interests of society - the degree of interaction between private
actors and public actors, and the processes and instruments that arise. The concomitant appearance
of new or revised forms of governance, together with the growing role of private actors, nonetheless,
raises questions about legitimacy, accountability, participation and transparency. These questions are
addressed throughout this book.