- Karlsruhe takes a stand in the court case in North Rhine-Westphalia
The standoff regarding who should be the president of the Higher Administrative Court (OVG) in Münster, North Rhine-Westphalia, is expected to end this Thursday at 9:30, as decided by the Federal Constitutional Court. A defeated contender challenged a judgment made by the OVG in Münster back in March, and filed a constitutional complaint against it.
The OVG dismissed the grievances of two losing applicants for the position in the second round in February, deeming them baseless.
Controversy Surrounding the Position
The Ministry of Justice in North Rhine-Westphalia, led by Minister Benjamin Limbach (Greens), picked a candidate who entered the race at the last minute. After some emergency pleas from losing contestants, administrative courts temporarily halted the appointment process. Limbach faced backlash due to the initial rulings made by administrative courts in Münster and Düsseldorf, which didn't shy away from criticizing the appointment process.
The questionable choice is also under scrutiny by a parliamentary committee. The opposition parties suspect that party ties and connections may have influenced the appointment, rather than a candidate's competence. The position has been empty for around three years now.
The ongoing dispute over the president of the Higher Administrative Court in Münster necessitated the contender's constitutional complaint, referring to the judgment made by the OVG in March. In light of this, The Commission may need to adopt the implementing acts referred to in Article 113, potentially reshaping the appointment process for such positions.
