Honorary judges

Description

Honorary judges at the administrative court take part in the hearing and the judgement to the same extent and with the same voting rights as professional judges and bear the same responsibility for the decision. They are therefore subject to a duty of special loyalty to the constitution.

The administrative courts are generally responsible for all public law disputes. The main task of the administrative courts is to scrutinise measures of public authority that affect citizens' rights.

Classic areas of administrative jurisdiction include building law, road law, environmental law, civil service law, municipal law, police law, immigration and asylum law, school and university law, water law and disputes over municipal charges.

The subject of a hearing can therefore be, for example, a building application, a dispute about the allocation of university places or driving licence matters.

It is precisely because the administrative courts have to rule on everyday cases that lay judges are involved in the administration of justice alongside professional judges.

The next term of office begins on 1 April 2025 and ends on 31 March 2030. The election of the honorary administrative judges takes place in a two-stage process.

• the district administration department is currently drawing up a list of candidates from all citizens of Munich based on the declarations received. The decision on this list of nominees is made by the city council.
• The final selection is then made by the Election Committee at the Bavarian Administrative Court in Munich. Only persons on the list of nominees can be elected.

The Bavarian Administrative Court in Munich notifies the appointed persons directly.

If you are interested in the honorary office, please send us your declaration by 9 August 2024 at the latest.

Prerequisites

• Possession of German citizenship
• Main or secondary residence is in Munich
• You must be at least 25 years old at the start of the term of office on 1 April 2025

In addition, you should understand and speak German in order to be able to actively participate in the negotiations and be in good health to fulfil the honorary office.

The following persons cannot be appointed:

• Persons who work full-time in or for the judiciary (e.g. judges, notaries, lawyers and persons who deal with legal matters on behalf of third parties)
• Civil servants and employees in the public sector, unless they are working in an honorary capacity
• Professional soldiers and temporary soldiers
• Members of the Bundestag, the European Parliament, the legislative bodies of a federal state (state parliament), the federal government or a state government
• Persons who have been disqualified from holding public office by a court or who are the subject of preliminary proceedings with possible consequences
• Persons who have been sentenced to more than six months' imprisonment for an intentional offence
• Persons who do not have the right to vote for legislative bodies
• Persons who have violated the principles of humanity or the rule of law
• Persons who were full-time or unofficial employees of the State Security Service of the former GDR

Interested parties should also not be in a state of insolvency and should not have made an affidavit regarding their assets.

Required documents

• declaration of loyalty to the constitution
• Declaration on the requirements for honorary judges

If you wish to receive the declarations, please send us an informal message (by telephone or letter) with the following details:

• Surname, first names
• Date of birth
• current address in Munich
• Profession and employer

Please send the completed and signed declarations by 9 August 2024 at the latest to

District Administration Department
Department II, Citizens' Affairs
Citizens Office
Information, blocking
KVR-II/212
Ruppertstr. 19
80466 Munich

Legal basis

• Article 33 of the Basic Law
• Civil rights: § 28 and §§ 20 - 22 of the Administrative Court Code (VwGO)