Digital progress: Federal Constitutional Court opens up new submission path

a step to digitize the rule of law

From August 1, 2023, applications, briefs and plants at the Federal Constitutional Court can now also be submitted electronically for the first time. This innovation, which was decided in the context of a change in the law, represents significant progress for digitization in the German legal system and was already passed by the Bundestag in April 2023.

The importance of safe transmission paths

When submitting electronic, it is necessary that the documents are transmitted via approved and secure transmission paths. The Federal Constitutional Court emphasizes that the integrity and protection of the news are always guaranteed. The special electronic legal mailbox and the electronic citizens' and organizational mailbox fall under these safe transmission paths. While many modern communication channels such as e-mail or social networks are excluded, the quality guarantee of the approved methods remains in the foreground.

obligations for experts and authorities

The introduction of this digital method is mainly relevant for lawyers, authorities and legal entities under public law, since these are obliged to submit electronic submission. Citizens, on the other hand, have the choice whether they want to use the new digital path or continue to send their documents by post or fax. This means that everyone has the right to decide which method best suits their needs.

digital accessibility of the Federal Constitutional Court

With this measure, the Federal Constitutional Court is not only more achievable for legal institutions, but also helps to modernize and make the processes more efficient. The court will be able to transmit documents relevant to procedures electronically to those involved and their authorized representatives, which can lead to accelerated communication.

a contemporary reform in the legal system

Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann emphasizes the relevance of this reform by explaining: "The time for it was ripe: The Federal Constitutional Court is a civil court. It is therefore correct that it can now also be called digitally." This not only underlines the increasing digitization of the rule of law, but also shows the will of politics to adequately support citizens in an increasingly digital environment.