Category: Human Dignity

Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Evidence, Federal Constitutional Court, Human Dignity, Mental State, Murder, Police and Prosecutors, Policy

What’s the Maximum Punishment under German Criminal Law?

Andrew Hammel

I'm back after a long hiatus, thanks for your patience. I've just had tons of work lately on many different projects, and I needed to figure out how to fit in time for the blog. This post will be about German prison sentences, specifically the longest ones for the most serious crimes. Before that, though,… Continue reading What’s the Maximum Punishment under German Criminal Law?

Basic Rights, Criminal Law, European Law, Human Dignity, KUG, Murder, Police and Prosecutors, Right of Personality, Soering, True Crime

Die Kapitulation des Journalisten Markus Lanz vor Jens Söring

Andrew Hammel

I. Einführung Am 14. Mai 2020 geschah etwas Bemerkenswertes. Über eine Stunde lang sendete ZDF, einer der beiden öffentlich-rechtlichen Fernsehsender Deutschlands, Propaganda im Namen eines Eidbrechers, Betrügers und verurteilten Doppelmörders. Jens Söring, der im November 2019 aus dem Gefängnis in Virginia entlassen wurde, nachdem er 33 Jahre im Gefängnis für die kaltblütigen Morde an Derek… Continue reading Die Kapitulation des Journalisten Markus Lanz vor Jens Söring

Basic Rights, Criminal Law, Human Dignity, Murder, Police and Prosecutors, Right of Personality, Soering, True Crime

The Capitulation of Journalist Markus Lanz to Jens Söring

Andrew Hammel

Introduction On May 14, 2020, a remarkable thing happened. For over an hour, one of Germany's two leading public television stations, ZDF, broadcast (g) propaganda on behalf of a perjurer, con-man, and convicted double-murderer. Jens Söring, who was released from prison in Virginia in November 2019 after serving 33 years in prison for the cold-blooded… Continue reading The Capitulation of Journalist Markus Lanz to Jens Söring

Basic Rights, Federal Constitutional Court, Human Dignity, Public Law, Social Welfare Law

The Federal Constitutional Court Eviscerates German Welfare Law. Or does it?

Andrew Hammel

In 2005, the German Bundestag revolutionized social welfare law with the so-called Hartz IV(g) reforms. These reforms were pushed through by former Social Democratic German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, and quite possibly ended his political career. The reason? They tightened eligibility criteria, capped the amount of benefits people could receive, and tied the benefits to "cooperation"… Continue reading The Federal Constitutional Court Eviscerates German Welfare Law. Or does it?

European Court of Justice, Federal Administrative Court, Human Dignity

Human Dignity and Laser Tag

Andrew Hammel

The guiding principle of the post-war German legal order is human dignity, which stands symbolically at the very beginning of the modern German constitution, the Basic Law: (1) Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority. But what exactly is human dignity? In common-law countries, it's… Continue reading Human Dignity and Laser Tag