Bundesministerin für Justiz Stefanie Hubig (SPD) announced on Monday that she intends to overhaul the “Verwaltungsgerichtsordnung” (administrative court rules). The draft legislation would give administrative courts stronger tools to enforce decisions against the state while simultaneously lowering the formal requirements for filing objections to administrative actions.
Hubig said courts should “decide more quickly and the justice system should use its resources more efficiently”. She added that individual judges would bear greater responsibility and that procedures, in general, could be streamlined. The goal is a more efficient court system that ultimately benefits citizens and the rule of law as a whole.
According to the proposal, judicial personnel would be deployed more effectively, allowing courts to adjudicate cases with fewer judges on the bench. The rules would also enable courts to handle late submissions and “querulous” lawsuits more effectively. Moreover, objections to administrative decisions would be permitted by e‑mail, reducing the procedural burden on applicants.
