Germany
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- federal parliamentary republic
- CONSTITUTION
- May 23, 1949, became the constitution of unified Germany on October 3, 1990; amended several times, last in 2020
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- civil law; recognizes ICJ jurisdiction as mandatory with reservations
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- bicameral Parliament (Parlament), Federal Assembly (Bundestag) and Federal Council (Bundesrat)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Federal Court of Justice (the court is composed of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges and organized into 25 senates divided into 12 civil chambers, 5 criminal chambers, and 8 special chambers); Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (composed of 2 senates each divided into 3 chambers, each with a president and 8 members); Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 federal states or Länder has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, financial, labor, social) courts; two English-speaking commercial courts were opened at the end of 2020 in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg: the English-speaking commercial court in Stuttgart and the English-speaking commercial court in Mannheim
RELIGIONS
Roman Catholic 26%, Protestant 23.7%, Muslim 3.6%, other 4.8%, none 41.9% (estimate 2021)
From the country
- APRIL 18, 2006GermanyDEATH PENALTY
GERMANY. USA AND GERMANY AGREE TO SIMPLIFY EXTRADITION PROCESS
the United States and Germany signed an accord on Tuesday aimed at speeding up extraditions, though Berlin will continue to reject requests for individuals who could be put to death, Germany's Justice Ministry said.
- JANUARY 1, 2006GermanyDEATH PENALTY
The Federal Republic of Germany abolished the death penalty in 1949.
The Federal Republic of Germany abolished the death penalty in 1949.
- APRIL 20, 2005GermanyDEATH PENALTY
Germany was a cosponsor and voted in favour of the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
Germany was a cosponsor and voted in favour of the resolution on the death penalty at the 61st UN Commission on Human Rights.
- JANUARY 1, 2005GermanyDEATH PENALTY
The Federal Republic of Germany abolished the death penalty in 1949.
The Federal Republic of Germany abolished the death penalty in 1949.
- SEPTEMBER 2, 2004GermanyDEATH PENALTY
Germany refused to pass on evidence to the US that...
Germany refused to pass on evidence to the US that could lead to the death penalty being invoked against the so-called 20th hijacker
- JULY 5, 2004GermanyDEATH PENALTY
Chairwoman of the German Green Party, Angelika Beer,...
Chairwoman of the German Green Party, Angelika Beer, came out against the death penalty for overthrown Iraqi dictator Saddam Husayn
- JULY 1, 2004GermanyDEATH PENALTY
Baghdad's decision to re-establish the death penalty...
Baghdad's decision to re-establish the death penalty ahead of the war crimes trial of Saddam Hussein evoked a mixed reaction in Europe, recalling the split across the continent over the war that toppled the Iraqi leader
- MAY 8, 2004GermanyDEATH PENALTY
An Omani court referred its secret verdict on a German...
An Omani court referred its secret verdict on a German woman physiotherapist, Dana Gerlish, and her alleged lover, a wheelchair-bound Omani, to the grand mufti, normal procedure for death sentences, a court source said
- MAY 5, 2004GermanyDEATH PENALTY
Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer expressed Germany's...
Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer expressed Germany's dismay over the confirmation of a death sentence ordered against a dissident Iranian academic Hashem Aghajari
- APRIL 21, 2004GermanyDEATH PENALTY
Germany was a cosponsor and voted in favour of the...
Germany was a cosponsor and voted in favour of the resolution on the death penalty at the 60th UN Commission on Human Rights
- APRIL 7, 2004GermanyDEATH PENALTY
The Federal Republic of Germany abolished the death penalty in 1949.
The Federal Republic of Germany abolished the death penalty in 1949.
- MARCH 17, 2004GermanyDEATH PENALTY
During his state visit to Nigeria, German President...
During his state visit to Nigeria, German President Johannes Rau criticised the fact that Islamic law was applied in the north of the country