English Language in German Courts: Any progress?

In March 2014, the proposal to allow English language proceedings in German courts has been re-introduced into the parliamentary process. It had become obsolete after last year’s election.* The draft legislation is more or less identical to the one proposed during the last parliamentary term, which had proceeded to an experts’ hearing in the Bundestag. 

Continue reading

Pay Rise for German Lawyers: Fees to Go Up By 19% !

Sounds great. In theory. In practice, statutory legal fees for lawyers have not been raised since 2004, and notary’s fees have even remained unchanged since 1987. So there is a bit of catching up against inflation to be done – a technicality not likely to be picked up by the popular press. Anyway, draft legislation (Zweites Kostenrechtsmodernisierungsgesetz) that is currently being discussed proposes to increase legal fees in the order of 19%. Continue reading

ADR in the Upper House: Mediating the Mediation Act, Rejecting Brussels

The Upper House (Bundesrat) of the German Parliament has been active in ADR related matters twice this month:

First, its Legal Committee (Rechtausschuss) sent the Mediation Act, which has been unanimously approved by the Lower House (Bundestag)  to the Mediation Committee (Vermittlungsausschuss). Pardon the pun, but I am using the quasi-official translation for the joint committee of the two Houses, provided for in Art. 77 of the German Constitution. Continue reading