Schoeffen-bw.de Website Review

GERMAN AS*OCIATION OF THE FAMOUSES AND SCHOOLS LANDESVERBAND BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG E.V. (DVS-BW) Almost 30 years ago, the Confederation of Honorary Judges - the German As*ociation of Lawyers - was founded in Germany. This is partisan and ideologically neutral and independent. The purpose of the as*ociation is to promote lay participation in case law, to prepare the honorary lay judges for the performance of their duties and to as*ist them in the exercise. 20 years ago, in 1998, the organizational gap of the Schöffenvereinigung closed in another large state - in Baden Württemberg. An open-minded seminar at the Protestant Academy in Bad Boll was, so to speak, the occasion. The event was a reflection of the development so far. 70 participants had appeared - far more than subsidized seats were available. The honorary judges nevertheless came partly at their own expense. Another 70 interested parties had to be canceled, unfortunately, because the capacity of the Academy was not sufficient. The panel discussion at the end of the conference proceeded according to previous experiences. High-level representatives of the judiciary were present, talking about the importance of the ministry and finding many benevolent words. But when it came to a better participation of the judges in the proceedings, e.g. the delivery of the indictment, the free question of the aldermen without filtering by the chairman, the expansion of training opportunities, etc., the enthusiasm was much more restrained. The legislature makes a high demand on the Schöffen. With the same voting rights as the professional judges, they exercise their judicial office during the main hearing. The honorary judges of other branches of the judiciary, such as administrative, social or labor courts, also participate equally in the legal process.