People found not guilty of crimes which involve the death of another person can now face a retrial in the Netherlands if prosecutors come up with new evidence.

The senate on Tuesday voted narrowly in favour of allowing retrials in specific cases, as proposed by justice minister Ivo Opstelten.

The proposals, which date back to 2009, have been heavily criticised by legal experts. They fear it could lead to cases being less well-prepared because prosecutors will always be able to ask for a retrial.

The legislation will also be back-dated so not-guilty verdicts in the past can be overturned.