Berlin, Germany – In the wake of a recent report highlighting the dire situation of the German judiciary, both the Union and the SPD in the Bundestag have called for a reactivation of the “Pact for the Rule of Law” agreement. According to the “Bild am Sonntag” and the “Deutsche Richterzeitung”, 61 suspects were released from pre-trial detention in 2024 due to prolonged investigations, including cases of murder, manslaughter and rape.
The German Judges’ Association has demanded an “immediate program” to alleviate the burden on the judiciary, emphasizing the need to speed up proceedings and fill vacant positions in the justice sector. “In the short term, we must focus on accelerating the staffing of the justice sector and making procedures more efficient” said Dirk Wiese, SPD parliamentary group vice-chair.
Andrea Lindholz, the Union’s parliamentary group vice-chair, echoed the call, stating that the judiciary’s overloading and personnel crisis pose a serious threat to the rule of law and internal security. “We urgently need a reactivation of our successful ‘Pact for the Rule of Law’ from the last legislative period” she said.
The original agreement, reached in January 2019, aimed to improve the staffing of courts and public prosecutors’ offices. Lindholz added that, in addition to more personnel, the digitalization of the judiciary must be consistently pushed forward to make procedures more efficient. “At the same time, we must improve working conditions in the federal and state governments to make justice professions more attractive again.”
The Green Party’s Canan Bayram described the current situation as “alarming”, pointing out that around 2,000 judges and public prosecutors are currently missing and that the birth rate of the judiciary’s future workforce is expected to decline by 2030. “The federal government should find solutions in cooperation with the states” she said.
Katrin Helling-Plahr, the FDP’s parliamentary group spokesperson on legal affairs, emphasized the need for swift action, stating that prolonged investigation periods in criminal cases are unacceptable and will only worsen in the face of the impending retirement wave of the judiciary’s older workforce. “We need fast procedures” she said.
The states, according to Helling-Plahr, are solely responsible for the staffing of the judiciary and must ensure a corresponding staffing practice and sufficient financing to provide enough judges and non-judicial personnel. She also called for a digitalization offensive, highlighting the potential for speeding up and making procedures more efficient in the criminal justice system.