75th anniversary of the German Federal Court of Justice

Karlsruhe/Leipzig (dpa) – For 75 years, the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof, BGH) has been the highest court of civil and criminal jurisdiction for all of Germany. Its decisions shape the Federal Republic’s administration of justice. Guests from the areas of politics and justice, including Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, are coming to Karlsruhe today to attend a ceremony at the Baden State Theatre to mark this anniversary. 

The BGH is superior to Germany’s district courts, regional courts and higher regional courts. Its job is to ensure that all applicable laws are interpreted consistently across the Federal Republic. The federal court reports to the Federal Ministry of Justice rather than the governments of the federal states. It comprises thirteen divisions responsible for civil matters and six divisions responsible for criminal matters. Two of the divisions for criminal matters are based in Leipzig, and all other divisions are based in Karlsruhe. 

Lawsuits are frequently passed on to the BGH through appeal proceedings. This means that one or both parties in a lawsuit appeal against the decision made by a regional or higher regional court. As a so-called appellate court, the BGH will only review, whether any legal errors were made at the previous instance. The court does not accept any new evidence or interrogate any witnesses.