The district courts are responsible for civil disputes with a low amount in dispute. The limit has not been raised for years - Baden-Württemberg is now demanding that this change.
Stuttgart (dpa / lsw) - Justice Minister Marion Gentges (CDU) has spoken out in favor of raising the value in dispute at the German district courts. Gentges said in Stuttgart that the number of proceedings there fell significantly due to the ongoing inflation. "We have to counteract this by raising the jurisdictional value for the district courts." They are usually responsible for disputes up to 5000 euros. For higher sums, the regional court is usually responsible as the first instance.
The conference of justice ministers is now dealing with Gente's proposal. According to the Ministry of Justice, the amount in dispute was last raised in 1993. The inflation rate for the period from the beginning of 1993 to the end of July 2022 is over 64 percent. Just to understand the inflation trend from 1993 to the end of July, the limit in dispute would have to be raised to around 8,400 euros. With a possible increase, Gentges also wants to strengthen the importance of the district courts.
The number of incoming civil cases has been declining for many years. According to the information, this decline is particularly strong in the 108 district courts in the southwest. In the period from 1993 to 2020, the number of first-instance civil proceedings in the district courts fell by 41 percent. As an example, minor traffic accidents or parking lot accidents with property damage were mentioned: These cases are becoming less and less before the district courts because the repair costs, even for minor damage, quickly exceed the value in dispute of 5000 euros, argued the Ministry of Justice.
