The German Judges Association (DRB) wants to accelerate digitization in the Judiciary. Gaps in IT equipment would have to be closed, said DRB federal managing director Sven Rebehn. Legal regulations already allow online negotiations in civil processes, but there is a lack of technology. “It is now becoming apparent that the Corona pandemic is pushing modernization in many courts and for prosecutors,” said Rebehn. Online negotiations could increase in the future in simple cases in civil litigation. However, verbal negotiations in court buildings would remain the norm. “The immediacy and publicity of the court hearing remain the central principles of procedural law,” said the DRB federal executive.

The FDP supports the calls to digitize the Judiciary more comprehensively because this sector of the state is systemically important. With regard to the Corona crisis, the deputy chairman of the FDP parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Stephan Thomae, said: “Judges, registrars, and lawyers do outstanding work under difficult conditions.” One finally needed “a digital pact for the judiciary between the Federal level and State Governments in order to significantly and quickly improve the technical equipment of the Judiciary”.