Bundesgerichtshof

The Bundesgerichtshof (Federal Court of Justice) (BGH) is the highest German court for civil and criminal law. It is one of the five Supreme Courts in Germany.
The Bundesarbeitsgericht (Federal Labour Court),
the Bundesfinanzhof (Federal Finance Court),
the Bundessozialgericht (Federal Social Court) and
the Bundesverwaltungsgericht (Federal Administrative Court)
are the other supreme courts. They only hear cases about their areas of law. There is no appeal from any of the supreme courts, unless someone's human rights are affected which is a matter for the Bundesverfassungsgericht - the Federal Constitutional Court to decide.
History
The Bundesgerichtshof was founded in 1950. Its headquarters were in the old Palace of the "Hereditary Grand Duke" (the heir apparent) of Hesse in Karlsruhe.
Another part, the 5th criminal division is based in the Villa Sack in Leipzig. The idea was to move all of the court there after the reunification. The judges did not want to move so instead only the 5th criminal division was moved from Berlin to Leipzig.
The 5th division used to meet in West Berlin so that appeal cases could be heard in the city without having to take criminals across the DDR. The Federal Administrative Court moved into the Villa sack as well on August 22nd, 2002.
Organisation
The BGH is divided into "senates". Each Senate has a judges as chairman and four assessors.
There are
twelve civil courts of appeal;
five criminal courts of appeal (including the one based in Leipzig); and
eight specialised senates . These deal with
Farming matters;
Advocates affairs (attorneys and lawyers);
Notary affairs;
Patent agent affairs;
Accountant affairs;
Tax consultant disputes, but not tax disputes, which are handled by the Federal Finance Court in Munich;
Cartel senate;
Matters about working for the federal government, except military service which is handled by the Federal Administrative Court.
Business distribution
Civil courts of appeal
Which senate hears a case depends on what is being argued about.
I. Copyrights, trademark rights, dishonest competition
II. Company law
III. Government liability
IV. Law of inheritance and insurance
V. Law of property
VI. "Deliktsrecht" Compensation after illegal acts tort
VII. Planning and building laws and regulations and contracts
VIII. Consumer and rent law
IX. Acts by lawyers and tax consultants, insolvency law
X. Patent and registered design law, "kind protection" (that is, protecting types of plants a breeder has grown),
Xa. Patent law, Travel contract law
XI. Banking law, loans and stock exhange law
XII. Family law and business rents law
Criminal divisions
The criminal senates hear cases from the 24 Higher Regional Courts . Which senate depends on which court the appeal comes from.
1. Bamberg, Karlsruhe, Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart as well as armed forces crimes and offence against the national defence, tax law;
2. Frankfurt am Main, Jena, Koblenz and Cologne;
3. Celle, Dusseldorf, Oldenburg and Schleswig as well as state security crimes;
4. Hamm, Naumburg, Rostock, Saarbrucken and Zweibrucken, as well as traffic crimes;
5. (based in Leipzig): Supreme Court of Berlin and the Higher Regional Courts of Brandenburg, Brunswick, Bremen, Dresden and Hamburg as well as tax and customs crimes.
Presidents of the Federal Court of Justice
References
Other websites
Official website
Karlsruhe