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The German Prosecution Service pp 35–61Cite as

The Organization of Prosecution

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Abstract

Germany’s prosecution offices as well as its court system are organized on the state or Länder level and are subsumed within the state-level Ministries of Justice. While the Minister of Justice at the state level is a political appointee, appointed by the state’s Minister-President, prosecutors are career civil servants, who are protected from arbitrary dismissal after they complete a period of probationary service. An exception to that rule exists in four states, where the position of General Public Prosecutor (Generalstaatsanwalt) is a political appointee who serves at the pleasure of the Minister of Justice. Regardless of that fact, all prosecutors at the state level are members of a hierarchically ordered bureaucracy.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    There is also a smaller federal prosecution office known as the Bundesanwaltschaft. However, their jurisdiction is limited to prosecuting serious offenses against the state such as high profile terrorism cases. Their primary mandate is to represent the State before the Federal Court of Appeals (Sect. 142 subs. 1 COA). The Länder prosecution services represent the state at the Amtsgericht (local court), Landgericht (district courts), and Oberlandesgericht (Higher Regional Court) Levels.

  2. 2.

    Prosecutor Interview [9BU], 4 May 2005.

  3. 3.

    The organization of prosecution offices parallels the organization of the courts. There is a Generalstaatsanwalt located at each of the 25 regional courts of appeal (Oberlandesgerichte). Some of the Länder possess more than one regional court of appeal. There are 116 district courts (Landgerichte) in Germany. Beneath the district courts are the Amtsgerichte.

  4. 4.

    §64 Par. 2 NBG (Niedersächsisches Beamtengesetz), §145 GVG (Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz).

  5. 5.

    Prosecutor Interview [7SE], 5 April 2006.

  6. 6.

    Prosecutor Interview [4KD], 23 February 2006.

  7. 7.

    Prosecutor Interview [4AJ], 2 February 2006.

  8. 8.

    Many judges work in courts with a single professional judge, other courts include one professional judge and two lay judges. Although judges at the Landgericht level may work on a five judge panel, those panels are comprised of a presiding judge, two additional professional judges with differing levels of seniority, and two lay judges.

  9. 9.

    Prosecutor Interview [13AS], 10 June 2004.

  10. 10.

    Prosecutor Interview [13OI], 10 June 2004.

  11. 11.

    Prosecutor Interview [13AS], 10 June 2004.

  12. 12.

    Prosecutor Interview [9EG], 8 May 2006.

  13. 13.

    Prosecutor Interview [13PR], 6 December 2005.

  14. 14.

    Prosecutor Interview [4GG], 30 January 2006.

  15. 15.

    Prosecutor Interview [2BN], 16 July 2004.

  16. 16.

    Prosecutor Interview [4AJ], 2 February 2006.

  17. 17.

    Prosecutor Interview [13WT], 18 November 2005.

  18. 18.

    Prosecutor Interview [2QM], 6 October 2005.

  19. 19.

    Prosecutor Interview [19BS], 14 May 2008.

  20. 20.

    Prosecutor Interview [6SB], 23 February 2006.

  21. 21.

    Deutsches Richtergesetz [DRiG], Sept. 8, 1961; BGBl.I at 1665, §5 paragraph 1 (F.R.G.). Available at “Gesetz in internet.” http://bundesrecht.juris.de.

  22. 22.

    The judicial service encompasses positions in the prosecution function, the judiciary, and the Ministry of Justice.

  23. 23.

    Prosecutor Interview [8HL], 25 May 2006.

  24. 24.

    Prosecutor Interview [2BN], 16 July 2004.

  25. 25.

    Prosecutor Interview [7GC], 6 April 2006.

  26. 26.

    Prosecutor Interview [7GC], 6 April 2006. See also Prosecutor Interview [9BU], 4 May 2005.

  27. 27.

    Prosecutor Interview [9BU], 4 May 2005.

  28. 28.

    Other states have a top 25 % score cutoff. Ministry Interview [13JM], 10 June 2004.

  29. 29.

    Prosecutor Interview [2BN], 16 July 2004.

  30. 30.

    Prosecutor Interview [11OT], 15 July 2004.

  31. 31.

    Prosecutor Interview [11OT], 15 July 2004.

  32. 32.

    One prosecutor told me that his hiring committee was impressed by the fact that he already had three children. Prosecutor Interview [4AJ], 2 February 2006.

  33. 33.

    Prosecutor Interview [5XW], 19 January 2006.

  34. 34.

    Prosecutor Interview [5BC], 16 January 2006.

  35. 35.

    Prosecutor Interview [12FG], 24 April 2006.

  36. 36.

    Prosecutor Interview [13BR], 18 November 2005.

  37. 37.

    Prosecutor Interview [12CJ], 29 November 2005.

  38. 38.

    Prosecutor interview [2BN], 16 July 2004.

  39. 39.

    Prosecutor Interview [16AG], 9 June 2008.

  40. 40.

    Prosecutor Interview [7AG], 7 April 2006.

  41. 41.

    Prosecutor Interview [5XW], 19 January 2006.

  42. 42.

    Appellate Judge Interview [13MU], 10 April 2004.

  43. 43.

    Prosecutor Interview [7GC], 6 April 2006.

  44. 44.

    Prosecutor Interview [2QM], 6 October 2005.

  45. 45.

    Prosecutor Interview [2QM], 6 October 2005.

  46. 46.

    Prosecutor Interview [19BS], 14 May 2008.

  47. 47.

    Prosecutor Interview [19IC], 14 May 2008.

  48. 48.

    Prosecutor Interview [16PP], 30 April 2008.

  49. 49.

    Appellate Judge Interview [13MU], 10 April 2004.

  50. 50.

    Prosecutor Interview [13BC], 8 December 2005.

  51. 51.

    Prosecutor Interview [1DR], 15 March 2006.

  52. 52.

    Prosecutor Interview [4EW], 2 February 2006.

  53. 53.

    §203 StGB.

  54. 54.

    §202 StGB.

  55. 55.

    §204 StGB.

  56. 56.

    Prosecutor Interview [12LH], 29 November 2005.

  57. 57.

    See Prosecutor Interviews [13OI], 10 June 1984 and [13AS], 10 June 1984.

  58. 58.

    Prosecutor Interview [5BC], 16 January 2006.

  59. 59.

    Prosecutor Interview [1ZU], 15 March 2006.

  60. 60.

    Prosecutor Interview [1ZU], 15 March 2006.

  61. 61.

    According to the German, Code of Criminal Procedure defense lawyers possess a right to inspect the same files which are made are available to the court (§147 StPO). This requirement exists in European law as well. According to Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights, defense counsel must have the opportunity to access the observations and evidence compiled by the prosecution.

  62. 62.

    §160(2) StPO.

  63. 63.

    Prosecutor Interview [5UD], 19 January 2006.

  64. 64.

    Prosecutor Interview [12CJ], 29 November 2005.

  65. 65.

    Prosecutor Interview [2QM], 6 October 2005.

  66. 66.

    Prosecutor Interview [7GC], 6 April 2006.

  67. 67.

    Prosecutor Interview [7GC], 6 April 2006.

  68. 68.

    Prosecutor Interview [1CK], 13 March 2006.

  69. 69.

    Prosecutor Interview [16AG], 9 June 2008.

  70. 70.

    Prosecutor Interview [5BC], 16 January 2006.

  71. 71.

    See, e.g., Prosecutor Interview [16AG], 9 June 2008.

  72. 72.

    Justice Ministry Interview [12CR], 2 December 2006.

  73. 73.

    Prosecutor Interview [6SB], 23 February 2006.

  74. 74.

    Prosecutor Interview [6SB], 23 February 2006

  75. 75.

    Prosecutor Interview [13WT], 18 November 2005.

  76. 76.

    Prosecutor Interview [4AJ], 2 February 2006.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Law, Indiana University, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA

    Shawn Marie Boyne

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  1. Shawn Marie Boyne
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Appendices

Legislation

3.1.1 Code of Criminal Procedure (StPO)

§147, 160(2)

3.1.2 Code of Criminal Law (StGB)

§202, 203, 204

3.1.3 Other Laws

Sect. 142 subs. 1 Constitution of Courts Act (Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz, GVG).

Sect. 145

Section 64 Nr. 2 Niedersachsen Civil Service Law (Niedersächsisches Beamtengesetz, NBG)

German Law on Judges (Deutsches Richtergesetz, DRiG) Sept. 8, 1961, BGBl. I at 1665, § 5 para. 1 (F.R.G)

3.1.4 International Conventions

Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights

Interviews

Prosecutor Interview [9BU], 4 May 2005

Prosecutor Interview [7SE], 5 April 2006

Prosecutor Interview [4KD], 2 February 2006

Prosecutor Interview [4AJ], 2 February 2006

Prosecutor Interview [130I], 10 June 2004

Prosecutor Interview [13AS], 10 June 2004

Prosecutor Interview [2BN], 16 July 2004

Prosecutor Interview [13WT], 18 November 2005

Prosecutor Interview [2QM], 6 October 2005

Prosecutor Interview [19BS], 14 May 2008

Prosecutor Interview [6SB], 23 February 2006

Prosecutor Interview [4GG], 30 January 2006

Prosecutor Interview [8HL], 25 May 2006

Prosecutor Interview [2BN], 16 July 2004

Prosecutor Interview [7GC], 6 April 2006

Prosecutor Interview [11OT], 15 July 2004

Prosecutor Interview [5XW], 19 January 2006

Prosecutor Interview [5BC], 16 January 2006

Prosecutor Interview [12FG], 24 April 2006

Prosecutor Interview [13BR], 18 November 2005

Prosecutor Interview [12CJ], 29 November 2005

Prosecutor Interview [16AG], 9 June 2008

Prosecutor Interview [7AG], 7 April 2006

Prosecutor Interview [19IC], 14 May 2008

Prosecutor Interview [16PP], 30 April 2008

Prosecutor Interview [13BC], 8 December 2005

Prosecutor Interview [1DR], 15 March 2006

Prosecutor Interview [4EW], 2 February 2006

Prosecutor Interview [12LH], 29 November 2005

Prosecutor Interview [1ZU], 15 March 2006

Prosecutor Interview [5UD], 19 January 2006

Prosecutor Interview [1CK], 13 March 2006

Appellate Judge Interview [13MU], 10 April 2004

Justice Ministry Interview [12CR], 2 December 2006

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Boyne, S.M. (2014). The Organization of Prosecution. In: The German Prosecution Service. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40928-8_3

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