Table 1

Court System in Germany

Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)*

Federal Court of Justice Federal Federal Federal Federal

(appeal on point of law only) Administrative Finance Labour Social

Court Court Court Court
(appeal on point of (appeal on (appeal on
Criminal section Civil section Family section (appeal)
law only) point of law) point of law)

Higher Regional Courts Higher Finance Higher Higher

(appeal) Administrative Court Labour Social
Court Court Court
Criminal section Civil section Family section (appeal) (appeal) (appeal)

Regional Courts Administrative Labour Social

(trial and appeal) Court Court Court

Criminal section Civil section

*The jurisdiction of the Federal Constitutional Court can be divided into:

Local Courts a) norm control proceedings (concerning compatibility of laws with the constitution)
(trial) b) disputes between organs of the constitution, the Federation and the Länder
Criminal section Civil section Family section c) individual complaints of unconstitutionality of court decisions and statutes

The appeal system in criminal, civil and family cases is complicated:

Criminal cases: Appeals from local courts to regional courts, further appeal to higher regional courts
Appeals from regional courts (trials, first instance) only to federal court of justice
Civil cases: Appeals from local courts to regional courts, no further appeal
Appeals from regional courts (first instance) to higher regional courts, further appeal to federal court of justice
Family cases: Appeals from local courts to higher regional courts, further appeal to federal court of justice
(Appeals to federal court of justice are subject to further conditions)

Riedel; 04/12/2006