The German Judges Association (DRB) criticized the reform plans of Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) as insufficient to relieve administrative courts. “The reform plans for the procedural law of administrative courts are heading in the right direction” said DRB federal managing director Sven Rebehn to the Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland, adding that “the accelerating effects of the legal changes may remain limited”. He argued that the main bottleneck lies not in procedural law but in the staffing of the judiciary.
Rebehn added, “The backbone of a rule‑of‑law pact between the federal government and the states must be strengthening court personnel”. Administrative courts, in particular, are under heavy pressure. In 2023 there were roughly 72,000 main proceedings, and more than 100,000 cases were expected in 2024. A further rise of about 50 % is projected for 2025.
Although the number of asylum applications has recently fallen, this has not yet eased the burden on the courts. The Federal Office for Migration and Refugees is processing its case backlog more quickly, which in turn has triggered a new wave of lawsuits. “The new wave of asylum lawsuits is also halting the trend toward shorter court proceedings” Rebehn said. Hubig presented a draft bill aimed at relieving the courts and speeding up procedures without increasing workload.