Strengthening Justice in Economic Disputes and Introduction of “Commercial Courts”

<p>The Federal Ministry of Justice has just published a <a href="https://www.bmj.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/DE/Fachinformationen/Commercial_Courts_Eckpunkte.html?nn=6705022">Framework Paper on Strengthening Courts in Economic Disputes and Introducing Commercial Courts (in German)</a>. Public accountants or chartered auditors could be affected by the plan if they appear before civil courts as expert witnesses.</p>
<p>The aim of the plan is to permanently strengthen Germany as a place for justice and business.&nbsp;</p>

The main proposals are:

  • The possibility to conduct certain trade disputes in the English language before the regional courts;
  • Authorising the federal states to be able to set up trial special senates for major commercial trails in their higher regional courts (Commercial Courts);
  • More extensive protection of trade secrets.

A public hearing will be held in the Bundestag Legal Committee on 1 March 2023 (in German). In addition to the Justice Ministry’s framework paper, a draft law from the Bundesrat of April 2022 (PDF - in German) and a motion on the CDU/CSU motion of November 2022 on this subject will be discussed.

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