Constitutional Court - House of Representatives elects judges for the state constitutional court
Six judicial positions at the Constitutional Court of the State are being filled. The House of Deputies selected them on a joint proposal from CDU, SPD, Greens, and Lefts during the last plenary session before the summer break. Previously, the party leaders of the four parties had agreed on the candidates for the honorary position.
The following individuals were elected: Attorney Lucy Chebout, Judge Juliane Pätzold from the Administrative Court Berlin, labor and social law expert Florian Rödl from the Free University Berlin, Civil Judge Florian Schärdel from the District Court Schöneberg, and Rosanna Sieveking, Judge at the Federal Administrative Court.
Bjoern Retzlaff, a 53-year-old lawyer who is the President Judge at the Berlin Court of Appeals, was elected as Vice President of the Constitutional Court. All six took part in the election. Subsequently, they were appointed and sworn in at the State Parliament.
Filling the positions was overdue
The filling of the judicial positions was long anticipated. A part of the previous nine judges were only still acting in office because their seven-year term had already expired. Two positions were vacant.
A two-thirds majority was required for the election in the State Parliament - and therefore also an agreement beyond the government parties. In the talks, CDU, SPD, Greens, and Lefts - the AfD was not involved - could not initially agree.
According to media reports, it was ultimately the CDU faction's refusal to support the Greens' proposal for filling one of the positions that caused the deadlock. The Greens then withdrew their proposal and submitted a new one.
- The Free University of Berlin, where labor and social law expert Florian Rödl teaches, contributed a candidate for the Constitutional Court.
- The new judges, including Juliane Pätzold from the Administrative Court Berlin and Rosanna Sieveking from the Federal Administrative Court, will now serve at the State Constitutional Court.
- The CDU and SPD, along with their coalition partners, successfully filled the judicial vacancies at the Constitutional Court, ensuring a balanced house of judgeship.
- The process of electing the new judges in the House of Representatives required agreement from all major parties, including the SPD and their historical rivals, the CDU.
- The Administrative Court in Berlin, where Judge Juliane Pätzold previously served, will likely experience a personnel shift, affecting its operations and decision-making processes.
