The German judiciary is sounding the alarm, urging policymakers to address critical staffing shortages and a persistent digital backlog within the legal system. In a stark warning released Friday, the German Judges Association (DRB) called for a renewed “Rule of Law Pact” to tackle the burgeoning crisis and prevent further erosion of public trust.
DRB Federal Managing Director Sven Rebehn, in an interview with “Rheinische Post”, highlighted the increasingly untenable situation facing prosecution services and criminal courts, both of which are struggling to manage caseloads, resulting in protracted court proceedings. “As long as public prosecutor’s offices and criminal courts are chronically understaffed and unable to keep pace with their workload and court proceedings continue to drag on, public confidence in the rule of law will continue to decline” Rebehn stated.
The urgency of the situation, according to the DRB, is underscored by recent polling data revealing a worrying trend in public perception. A December 2023 survey by the Allensbach Institute indicates a marked decrease in public support for the judiciary. Approval ratings for the Federal Constitutional Court, for instance, plummeted from 81% in 2021 to a concerning 63% in 2023.
Crucially, the survey revealed widespread public frustration over lengthy court proceedings and a perception of systemic overload within the legal system, with four out of five respondents expressing dissatisfaction. This loss of public confidence represents a significant threat to the legitimacy and effectiveness of the German legal system.
Rebehn characterized the diminishing public support as an “alarm signal” indicating a “slippage” within the justice sector. He emphasized the imperative for both federal and state governments to proactively confront these challenges, not as a future consideration, but with immediate action embodied in a revamped Rule of Law Pact. The pact, previously intended to bolster judicial resources and digitalization efforts, now appears crucial in salvaging public trust and ensuring the continued integrity of the German legal framework. Critics argue that previous iterations of the pact have failed to deliver tangible improvements, suggesting a need for a fundamentally revised approach focused on sustainable funding and structural reforms, rather than superficial gestures. The question now becomes whether policymakers will heed this warning and take decisive action to restore faith in the justice system.