Overload of Cases Leading to Prosecutorial Closures Increasing

In a concerning development, Germany's investigative authorities and criminal courts are grappling with an unprecedented workload. According to a report released by the German Judges' Association, the system is heavily overloaded.

The Association's federal managing director, Sven Rebehn, has emphasised the responsibility of the federal states in addressing this issue. He stated that the problems cannot be delayed, and a personnel offensive from the states is needed this fall to enable additional positions in the justice system.

In 2023, prosecutors handled approximately 5.5 million new cases, an increase of 515,000 cases since 2020. This surge in cases has led to a significant backlog, with the number of pending cases at the end of 2024 reaching 950,000, about 240,000 more than in 2020.

The situation has become so severe that only one in 16 cases in 2024 led to a trial, compared to one in ten in 2014. This trend is alarming, as it suggests a growing number of cases are being discontinued. However, the exact number of cases discontinued in 2024 is not specified.

In a bid to alleviate the pressure, the federal government has announced plans to spend nearly half a billion euros to strengthen public prosecutor's offices and accelerate court proceedings. The details of this investment, including the specific allocation to each state, have not been disclosed yet.

It's worth noting that not all states have announced a personal investment offensive for speeding up the justice system. The search results do not explicitly list which federal states have not made such an announcement. However, it is noted that Bavaria, Saxony, and Thuringia have formed an "Alliance of Free States" focusing on infrastructure, security, and health initiatives, indicating active cooperation rather than absence of investment in justice.

The first report on this issue was published by Bild am Sonntag, which also reported that prosecutors are discontinuing more cases in 2024 compared to previous years. The exact number of cases discontinued in 2024 is not specified in the article.

The Berlin public prosecutor's office, too, is grappling with a large number of cases on its desk. The proportion of cases leading to a trial in 2025 compared to previous years has not been reported.

Rebehn's call for action comes as the justice system faces a critical juncture. The issues affecting the system are complex and require immediate attention from both the federal and state governments. The German Judges' Association is demanding a major investment package to ensure the smooth functioning of the justice system and uphold the rule of law.