Comparative Law Spring 2002 Professor Susanna Fischer

1. Comparative Law Spring 2002Professor Susanna Fischer CLASS 22 German Judicial System March 1, 2002

2. Wrap-Up: French Legal Profession • There is no concept of an Einheitsjurist in the French legal profession. Rather, training depends on which branch of the legal profession a student aspires to join

3. Principles Applying to All German Trials • What general principles or constitutional guarantees apply to all trials in Germany?

4. Principles Applying to All German Trials • What general principles or constitutional guarantees apply to all trials in Germany? • 1. Guarantee of legal protection Art. 19(4) GG • 2. No one should be able to influence or obstruct work of judges – see Art. 101 GG (providing that “[n]obody may be removed from the jurisdiction of his lawful judge.” • 3. Judicial independence (Art. 97 GG) • 4. Right to a Fair Trial (not express in GG)

5. What Principles Provide for a Fair Trial? • Which of these are in the Grundgesetz?

6. What Constitutional (or other) Provisions Provide for a Fair Trial? • Principle of the right of audience (Art. 103(1) GG) • Principle of orality • Principle of public trial Grundsatz der Öffentlichkeit. • Can German proceedings be recorded/broadcast? • Can the public ever be excluded from court?

7. Judicial Branch of Government • Germany’s judicial branch is governed by the GG • Art. 92 GG states that judicial power is to be entrusted to judges and only exercised by Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court), Bundesgerichte (Federal courts) and courts of Länder.

8. Specialized Judicial System • How specialized is Germany’s court system compared to the U.S. court system?

9. 5 independent branches of judicial system • What are these?

10. 5 independent branches of judicial system • What are these? • 1. Ordinary juridisdiction (ordentliche Gerichtsbarkeit) • 2. Administrative jurisdiction (Verwaltungsgerichtbarkeit) • 3. Jurisdiction of the social courts (Sozialgerichtsbarkeit) • 4. Jurisdiction of the tax courts (Finanzgerichtsbarkeit) • 5. Jurisdiction in labor matters (Arbeitsgerichtsbarkeit)

11. 5 independent branches of judicial system • Each of the 5 jurisdictions is headed by a Federal Court as the court of last resort • What is the function of these Federal Courts?

12. Vertical and Horizontal Separation of Power in Judicial Branch • Compare the horizontal and vertical court structure in Germany to the U.S. system. What are the similarities and differences? • At what level are proceedings usually started in Germany?

13. Constitutional Jurisdiction • There is also a separate constitutional jurisdiction handled by the Bundesverfassungsgericht in Karlsruhe and constitutional courts of Länder • How does this system differ from that of the U.S.?

14. Other Federal Courts with Specialized Jurisdiction • For example: Truppendienstgericht - Military Court, Bundesdisziplinarhof -Supreme Federal Disciplinary Tribunal, Richterdienstgericht - Disciplinary Court for Judges, Bundespatentgericht - Federal Patent Tribunal (in Munich), • Also Schiedsgerichte (arbitration tribunals)

15. Disputes Over Jurisdiction • What happens if courts from two jurisdiction disagree as to which has the power to hear a given case? • How does this work in the U.S.?

16. Hierarchy of German Court System • How is the court system generally structured in Germany? • How does this compare to the U.S. • What is the highest court in the German system? • Now we’ll look at each branch of jurisdiction in more detail

17. Hierarchy of Courts of Ordinary Jurisdiction • Amtsgericht (local Land court) • Landgericht (regional Land court) • Oberlandesgericht (regional Appeal court) • Bundesgerichtshof (Federal Supreme Court of Justice; sits in Karlsruhe) • Of the approximately 17,000 judges, 13,000 in the ordinary system • Each court has a civil chamber and a criminal chamber

18. Hierarchy of Labour Courts • Arbeitsgerichte (Labor Courts) • Landesarbeitsberichte (Higher Labor Courts – each Land has at least one) • Bundesarbeitsgericht (Federal Labor Court – in Kassel but to be moved to Erfurt) • Do you need to have a Rechtsanwalt to appear in the Arbeitsbericht • Trials in labor courts must start with conciliation proceedings (Güteverhandlung)

19. Administrative Court Hierarchy • Verwaltungsgerichte (Administrative Courts) • Oberverwaltungsgerichte (Higher Administrative Courts) • Bundesverwaltungsgerichte (Supreme Federal Court Administrative Tribunal; sits in Berlin and Munich – to be moved to Leipzig)

20. Hierarchy of Social Courts • Sozialgerichte (Social Security Tribunals) • Landessozialgerichte (Regional Social Appeal Tribunals) • Bundessozialgericht (Federal Social Court; sits in Kassel) • Usually free of charge • Can appeal without representation or be represented by trade union employee, trade association, lawyers, war victims’ associations

21. Hierarchy of Tax Courts • Only 2 tiers! • Finanzgericht (Fiscal Court) • Bundesfinanzgerichthof (Federal Fiscal Court; sits in Munich) • Handles tax cases, VAT • Can be represented by lawyer, accountant, auditor or represent yourself

22. Hierarchy of Constitutional Jurisdiction • Verfassungsgerichthof/Staatsgerichthof (Land Constitutional Court –note not all Lander set up separate constitutional courts; some just use the Staatsgerichthof, which is a court of general jurisdiction) • Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court – in Karlsruhe) • What does the Federal Constitutional Court do?