New positions - The Minister will relieve Justice with more personnel
Niedersachsen's Justice Minister, Kathrin Wahlmann, plans to improve the setup of prosecution offices and courts in the state in the future. According to the results of the budget negotiations, 47 new positions for prosecutors and judges, as well as 16 new positions and employment opportunities in the former intermediate service, are planned. The SPD politician informed the German Press Agency in Hannover.
These positions are planned for the coming year. The state government discussed the budget for 2025 at the end of June. The budget for 2025 is expected to be approved in the state parliament around the end of this year.
Minister Wahlmann considers prosecution offices in the state to be currently overburdened. "The overburdening affects prosecution offices throughout the state, particularly in Hanover," she explained. This is mainly due to the fact that the Niedersachsen Central Office for the Fight against Child Pornography is located there, which has to deal with rising case numbers.
Wahlmann: Crime has significantly increased
"Additionally, we are currently seeing a general increase in crime nationwide – white-collar crimes, theft, fraud, or bodily harm. Crime has significantly increased. This puts additional pressure on the prosecution offices and, in turn, on the courts," the Minister said.
Proceedings are often more complex today, according to Wahlmann, because a large number of suspects are involved. "Moreover, experts are frequently used, as the number of defendants suffering from psychiatric illnesses or drug addiction has significantly increased. This slows down the proceedings," she explained.
Less burdened elsewhere
The Minister sees a less severe burden in other areas of justice, such as social or labor courts. "The prosecution offices have already received positions from there as part of a large solidarity action this year. On the other hand, the proceedings' processing times are still relatively short," Wahlmann added.
A proceeding at the prosecution offices in Niedersachsen currently takes approximately one and a half months.
Wahlmann intends to alleviate this situation by allocating new positions to the Public Prosecutor's Office in Hannover, specifically 47 positions for prosecutors and judges. This announcement was made by the Justice Minister, Kathrin Wahlmann, to the German Press Agency in Hannover.
Furthermore, the Lower Saxony Central Office for the Fight against Child Pornography, located in Hannover, contributes to the overburdening of the prosecution offices in Hannover due to the increasing number of cases it handles.
In contrast, the burden in social and labor courts in Niedersachsen is less severe, as indicated by Wahlmann, with the processing times still being relatively short.
