When private actors contribute to public interests

This volume of the Netherlands Institute for Law and Governance Series is the result of a PhDRoundtable Forum on the theme: 'When Private Actors Contribute to Public Interests' held on the19th of April 2012 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.Traditionally, when we think of the actors responsible for securing or protecting fundamental interestsof 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 privateactors play in regard to fundamental interests of society - the degree of interaction between privateactors and public actors, and the processes and instruments that arise. The concomitant appearanceof 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 areaddressed throughout this book.