The CIA World Factbook Every edition, 1990 to 2025 Europe
Judicial branch Germany, in 35 editions.
The entry for Germany published Judicial branch in 35 editions of 36, from 1990 to 2025. The text changed in 15 editions. Each is shown as published. Judicial branch in every entry.
- editions changed the text
- 15
- the first edition with it
- 1990
- the latest edition with it
- 2025
Published as “Judicial branch” (1990 to 2025).
field in that editiontext changed from the edition beforenot in that editionthe edition shownChoose an edition on the strip beside the text, or step through them with the arrows. Mark changes compares it with the edition before: the marks are ours, words added and words removed.
2025 edition
Changed since 2024Entry published as “Germany, Federal Republic of”.
- Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) Chief of State--President Dr. Richard von WEIZSACKER (since 1 July 1984);
- Head of Government--Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October 1982)
Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) Chief of State--President Dr. Richard von WEIZSACKER (since 1 July 1984); Head of Government--Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October 1982)
The entry for Germany did not include Judicial branch.
The same text in 3 editions, 1992 to 1994.
Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)
Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht) Chief of State--President Dr. Richard von WEIZSACKER (since 1 July 1984); Head of Government--Chancellor Dr. Helmut KOHL (since 4 October 1982)
Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht)
Federal Constitutional Court
(Bundesverfassungsgericht)
Federal Constitutional Court (Bundesverfassungsgericht), half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat
Federal Constitutional Court(Bundesverfassungsgericht) (Bundesverfassungsgericht), half the judges are elected by the
Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat
The same text in 1997 and 1998.
Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht, half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat
Federal Constitutional Court or(Bundesverfassungsgericht), Bundesverfassungsgericht, half the judges are elected by the
and half by the Bundesrat
Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht, half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat
Federal Constitutional Court or
Bundesverfassungsgericht, half the judges are elected by the Bundestag
Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat
Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht, half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat
Federal Constitutional Court or
The same text in 10 editions, 2001 to 2010.
Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat)
Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht, half Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat Bundesrat)
The same text in 2011 and 2012.
- Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat);
- Federal Court of Justice;
- Federal Administrative Court
Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (half the judges are elected by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat) Bundesrat); Federal Court of Justice; Federal Administrative Court
The same text in 2013 and 2014.
- highest court(s):
- Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges including the court president, vice-presidents, presiding judges, and other judges, and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels; Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated States and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament;
- judges appointed by the president of Germany;
- judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65;
- Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate;
- judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
- subordinate courts:
- Federal Administrative Court;
- Federal Finance Court;
- Federal Labor Court;
- Federal Social Court;
- each of the 16 German states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts
Rewritten: too little of the 2012 text remains to mark the changes.
highest court(s):
Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges including the court president, vice-presidents, presiding judges, and other judges, and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels; Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
judge selection and term of office:
Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated States and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president of Germany; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
subordinate courts:
Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 German states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts
The same text in 3 editions, 2015 to 2017.
- highest court(s):
- Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges including the court president, vice-presidents, presiding judges, and other judges, and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels; Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated States and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament;
- judges appointed by the president of Germany;
- judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65;
- Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate;
- judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
- subordinate courts:
- Federal Administrative Court;
- Federal Finance Court;
- Federal Labor Court;
- Federal Social Court;
- each of the 16 German states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts
highest court(s):
judge selection and term of office:
subordinate courts:
- highest courts:
- Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges including the court president, vice-presidents, presiding judges, and other judges, and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels; Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated States and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament;
- judges appointed by the president of Germany;
- judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65;
- Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate;
- judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
- subordinate courts:
- Federal Administrative Court;
- Federal Finance Court;
- Federal Labor Court;
- Federal Social Court;
- each of the 16 German states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts
highest court(s): courts: Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges including the court president, vice-presidents, presiding judges, and other judges, and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels; Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
judge selection and term of office: Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated States and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president of Germany; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
subordinate courts: Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 German states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts
The same text in 2019 and 2020.
- highest courts:
- Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels);
- Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament;
- judges appointed by the president;
- judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65;
- Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate;
- judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
- subordinate courts:
- Federal Administrative Court;
- Federal Finance Court;
- Federal Labor Court;
- Federal Social Court;
- each of the 16 federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts
highest courts: Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges judges, including the court president, vice-presidents, vice presidents, presiding judges, and other judges, judges and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels; panels); Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
judge selection and term of office: Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated States states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president of Germany; president; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
subordinate courts: Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 German federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts
- highest courts:
- Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels);
- Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament;
- judges appointed by the president;
- judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65;
- Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate;
- judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
- subordinate courts:
- Federal Administrative Court;
- Federal Finance Court;
- Federal Labor Court;
- Federal Social Court;
- each of the 16 federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts;
- two English-speaking commercial courts opened in late 2020 in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg - English-speaking Stuttgart Commercial Court and English-speaking Mannheim Commercial Court
highest courts: Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels); Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
judge selection and term of office: Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
subordinate courts: Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts; two English-speaking commercial courts opened in late 2020 in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg - English-speaking Stuttgart Commercial Court and English-speaking Mannheim Commercial Court
The same text in 3 editions, 2022 to 2024.
- highest court(s):
- Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels);
- Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament;
- judges appointed by the president;
- judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65;
- Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate;
- judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
- subordinate courts:
- Federal Administrative Court;
- Federal Finance Court;
- Federal Labor Court;
- Federal Social Court;
- each of the 16 federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts;
- two English-speaking commercial courts opened in late 2020 in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg - English-speaking Stuttgart Commercial Court and English-speaking Mannheim Commercial Court
highest courts: court(s): Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges and organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels); Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
judge selection and term of office: Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half elected by the House of Representatives and one-half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
subordinate courts: Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts; two English-speaking commercial courts opened in late 2020 in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg - English-speaking Stuttgart Commercial Court and English-speaking Mannheim Commercial Court
- highest court(s):
- Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges; organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels);
- Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
- judge selection and term of office:
- Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament;
- judges appointed by the president;
- judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65;
- half of Federal Constitutional Court judges are elected by the House of Representatives and half by the Senate;
- judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
- subordinate courts:
- Federal Administrative Court;
- Federal Finance Court;
- Federal Labor Court;
- Federal Social Court;
- each of the 16 federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts;
- two English-speaking commercial courts opened in 2020 in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg -- the Stuttgart Commercial Court and the Mannheim Commercial Court
highest court(s): Federal Court of Justice (court consists of 127 judges, including the court president, vice presidents, presiding judges, other judges and judges; organized into 25 Senates subdivided into 12 civil panels, 5 criminal panels, and 8 special panels); Federal Constitutional Court or Bundesverfassungsgericht (consists of 2 Senates each subdivided into 3 chambers, each with a chairman and 8 members)
judge selection and term of office: Federal Court of Justice judges selected by the Judges Election Committee, which consists of the Secretaries of Justice from each of the 16 federated states and 16 members appointed by the Federal Parliament; judges appointed by the president; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 65; half of Federal Constitutional Court judges - one-half are elected by the House of Representatives and one-half half by the Senate; judges appointed for 12-year terms with mandatory retirement at age 68
subordinate courts: Federal Administrative Court; Federal Finance Court; Federal Labor Court; Federal Social Court; each of the 16 federated states or Land has its own constitutional court and a hierarchy of ordinary (civil, criminal, family) and specialized (administrative, finance, labor, social) courts; two English-speaking commercial courts opened in late 2020 in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg - English-speaking -- the Stuttgart Commercial Court and English-speaking the Mannheim Commercial Court
No edition has those words. Try a shorter word.
Cite this page
Central Intelligence Agency. “Germany: Judicial branch.” The World Factbook, 1990–2025 editions. Archived by The Factbook, thefactbook.org/germany/judicial-branch.