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Constitutional complaint (Germany)

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The constitutional complaint was originally codified in federal law (BVerfGG §§ 90 et seq.) and was not initially guaranteed by the constitution itself. It was incorporated into the constitution in 1969 as a political bargain. The constitution was then controversially amended to allow the declaration
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Further, the complaint must be submitted in written form, and the case must be argued, with appropriate evidence attached. The action or omission by which the complainant alleges their rights have been violated must be specified, as well as the specific right that is alleged to have been violated.
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to regular remedies, especially appeals to higher courts, which means two things. In the first place, the appellants must have exhausted all other possible remedies, including, if appropriate, a complaint on the procedural grounds of not being judicially heard (for instance, a violation of
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Standing is virtually always given when there is a court judgment or administrative order against the complainant. Violations of constitutional rights by a law are also actionable, but most laws are not self-executing and therefore fail the immediacy requirement.
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In the business year 2018, the Court recorded 5678 constitutional complaints filed, of which only 92 were granted relief, in total. Such relief may even extend, however, to voiding the statute found unconstitutional.
138:) to do so. They must allege that one of their Basic Rights or equivalent rights (see the enumeration above) has been violated by an action or omission of German state power. That includes acts carried out by any 116:) found in GG articles 1-19, as well as rights considered equivalent (Art. 33, 38, 101, 103 or 104, GG; also, Art. 20, para. 4, GG), like the right to stand for election or to be heard by a judge. 191:). Secondly, the complainant must have already raised the issue of the violation while in the course of their other remedies and so many complaints are dismissed as inadmissible. 187:). Therefore, constitutional complaints are in practice mostly directed against judicial acts, not acts of the executive (which can still be contested before the 100:. It was felt that the constitutional complaint remedy had to be enshrined in the constitution to prevent its abolition by a simple repeal of the BVerfGG. 179: 170:
and they must be affected directly, that is, there are no intermediate acts that need to be taken before the complainant is legally affected (immediacy).
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Complaints against a law must be lodged within one year after it comes into force. and those against other acts must be filed within one month after
109: 58: 127:. However, constitutional rights apply to legal persons only insofar as they can be sensibly applied to them (Art. 19, para. 3, GG). 108:
Art. 93, para. 1, no. 4a of the Basic Law enumerates the rights that may be the subject of a constitutional complaint. These are the
82:(abbreviated BVerfGG), which is the law establishing the Federal Constitutional Court itself, pursuant to GG art. 93, para. 2. 17: 409: 77: 233:
Sec. 95, para. 3, sentence 1, Bundesverfassungsgerichtsgesetz - enacted pursuant to Art. 94, para. 2, sentence 1, GG.
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A constitutional complaint is admissible only if complainants, at the time of filing, have the
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Refer to sec. 90 et seq., BVerfGG - available in English at Gesetze im Internet.de,
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agencies, which are not part of the German state), and any function of government (
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https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_bverfgg/englisch_bverfgg.html#p0400
213: 143: 131: 293: 403: 124: 65:, abbreviated GG). Constitutional complaints are adjudicated solely by the 46: 155: 334: 332: 139: 50: 368: 356: 344: 329: 317: 256:
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/englisch_gg.html#p0520
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Art. 93, GG - available in English via Gesetze im Internet.de at
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As an extraordinary remedy the constitutional complaint is
217:, a remedy available in some Spanish-speaking nations. 401: 391:Hillgruber, Christian; Goos, Christoph (2020). 167:be affecting them currently (already or still); 76:The constitutional complaint is set out in the 390: 374: 362: 350: 338: 323: 311: 299: 103: 142:(not those, however, directly carried out by 59:Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany 203:Comparable remedies in other legal orders 160:In particular, the act or omission must 119:The constitutional complaint is open to 14: 402: 96:), allowing temporary restrictions on 211:resembles, in certain respects, the 53:. The procedure serves to vindicate 24: 164:affect the complainant themselves; 25: 421: 284:Sec. 92, paras. 1 and 3, BVerfGG. 275:Sec. 92, paras. 1 and 3, BVerfGG. 278: 269: 260: 79:Bundesverfassungsgerichtsgesetz 248: 236: 227: 13: 1: 220: 67:Federal Constitutional Court 7: 104:Admissibility of complaints 10: 426: 395:. Heidelberg: C.F. Müller. 384: 375:Hillgruber & Goos 2020 363:Hillgruber & Goos 2020 351:Hillgruber & Goos 2020 339:Hillgruber & Goos 2020 324:Hillgruber & Goos 2020 312:Hillgruber & Goos 2020 300:Hillgruber & Goos 2020 410:German constitutional law 266:Sec. 23 para. 1, BVerfGG. 302:, at paras. 108 and 116. 32:constitutional complaint 393:Verfassungsprozessrecht 27:Legal remedy in Germany 45:) is an extraordinary 39: 209:Verfassungsbeschwerde 189:administrative courts 55:constitutional rights 42:Verfassungsbeschwerde 18:Verfassungsbeschwerde 185:audi alteram partem 140:level of government 93:Notstandsverfassung 136:Beschwerdebefugnis 88:state of exception 199:or notification. 30:The (individual) 16:(Redirected from 417: 396: 378: 372: 366: 360: 354: 348: 342: 336: 327: 321: 315: 309: 303: 297: 285: 282: 276: 273: 267: 264: 258: 252: 246: 240: 234: 231: 21: 425: 424: 420: 419: 418: 416: 415: 414: 400: 399: 387: 382: 381: 377:, at para. 285. 373: 369: 365:, at para. 230. 361: 357: 353:, at para. 200. 349: 345: 341:, at para. 119. 337: 330: 326:, at para. 101. 322: 318: 310: 306: 298: 294: 289: 288: 283: 279: 274: 270: 265: 261: 253: 249: 241: 237: 232: 228: 223: 205: 159: 121:natural persons 106: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 423: 413: 412: 398: 397: 386: 383: 380: 379: 367: 355: 343: 328: 316: 314:, at para. 96. 304: 291: 290: 287: 286: 277: 268: 259: 247: 235: 225: 224: 222: 219: 214:writ of amparo 204: 201: 172: 171: 168: 165: 144:European Union 132:legal standing 105: 102: 26: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 422: 411: 408: 407: 405: 394: 389: 388: 376: 371: 364: 359: 352: 347: 340: 335: 333: 325: 320: 313: 308: 301: 296: 292: 281: 272: 263: 257: 251: 245: 239: 230: 226: 218: 216: 215: 210: 200: 198: 192: 190: 186: 181: 176: 169: 166: 163: 162: 161: 157: 153: 149: 145: 141: 137: 133: 128: 126: 125:legal persons 122: 117: 115: 111: 101: 99: 95: 94: 89: 83: 81: 80: 74: 70: 68: 64: 60: 56: 52: 48: 44: 43: 40:(Individual-) 37: 33: 19: 392: 370: 358: 346: 319: 307: 295: 280: 271: 262: 250: 238: 229: 212: 208: 206: 193: 177: 173: 135: 129: 118: 113: 110:Basic Rights 107: 98:Basic Rights 92: 84: 78: 75: 71: 62: 47:legal remedy 41: 31: 29: 156:legislative 114:Grundrechte 63:Grundgesetz 221:References 180:subsidiary 57:under the 51:German law 148:executive 404:Category 152:judicial 385:Sources 197:service 36:German 86:of a 207:The 123:and 49:in 406:: 331:^ 158:). 154:, 150:, 69:. 38:: 134:( 112:( 90:( 61:( 34:( 20:)

Index

Verfassungsbeschwerde
German
legal remedy
German law
constitutional rights
Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany
Federal Constitutional Court
Bundesverfassungsgerichtsgesetz
state of exception
Notstandsverfassung
Basic Rights
Basic Rights
natural persons
legal persons
legal standing
level of government
European Union
executive
judicial
legislative
subsidiary
audi alteram partem
administrative courts
service
writ of amparo
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_bverfgg/englisch_bverfgg.html#p0400
https://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_gg/englisch_gg.html#p0520
Hillgruber & Goos 2020
Hillgruber & Goos 2020
Hillgruber & Goos 2020

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