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Voluntary work as a juvenile juror

Would you like to make an important contribution to our constitutional state and make the administration of justice more citizen- and life-oriented?

Courts of lay assessors are established at the district courts to hear and decide criminal cases falling within the jurisdiction of the district courts. The 5-year term of office of the currently appointed lay judges ends on December 31, 2022.

For this reason, lay assessors and juvenile lay assessors will be elected throughout Germany in 2023 for the period 01.01.2024 to 31.12.2028.

Under the Juvenile Courts Act, misdemeanors committed by young people are decided by the juvenile courts at the district court. Juvenile courts are the criminal judge as a juvenile judge, the juvenile juror court and the juvenile chamber.

The juvenile court is staffed by the juvenile judge as chairman and two juvenile jurors, the juvenile chamber by three judges and two juvenile jurors.

During the main hearing, the lay assessors shall exercise the office of judge to the same extent and with the same voting rights as the judges at the Local Court. The honorary judges are part of the power of the state emanating from the people (Article 20(2) of the Basic Law) and thus give special significance to the judgments "in the name of the people".

Requirements

One woman and one man who are educationally qualified and experienced in youth education shall be appointed as a juvenile juror for each main hearing. The requirements need not have been professionally acquired.
Experience gained through voluntary work in youth associations, youth welfare and leisure facilities in the school and sports sectors is also recognized for this purpose.
The mere fact that someone has children of his or her own does not constitute an educational qualification.
Special legal knowledge is not required.
Interested persons can apply if they

  • have German citizenship
  • have sufficient knowledge of the German language
  • are in good health when required to negotiate for several hours,
  • are at least 25 years of age and younger than 70 years of age at the beginning of the term of office,
  • have their first residence in the City of Bremen or in Bremen-North, and
  • are of good repute (no criminal investigation proceedings, no present insolvency, no previous convictions).