Bundesportal | Voluntary work as jurors

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Publisher

Bremen

Last update or date of publication

August 4, 2026

Contact

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Lay assessors ...

participate in the main hearing on an equal footing. They participate in the verdict as well as in all other decisions concerning the proceedings and thus bear the same responsibility as professional judges.

have an influence on the proceedings and the verdict. During the taking of evidence, the lay judges have the right to ask questions of the defendant, witnesses and experts, they decide on motions for evidence and make their own suggestions for the taking of evidence. Decisions on the question of guilt and the legal consequences of the offense require a two-thirds majority. The following applies both in the lay judges' court and in the criminal divisions of the regional court: no one can be convicted against the votes of both lay judges. Lay jurors must form an opinion on every decision; abstentions are not permitted.

are not liable, but punishable breaches of duty are punished. The lay assessors cannot be held civilly liable for a "wrong" verdict that has been overturned or amended on appeal or revision. They are only held liable for damages if they have committed criminal breaches of duty (for example, for bribery, obstruction of justice or persecution of innocent persons).

have protective rights as employees. Lay judges may not be restricted or disadvantaged by the assumption or exercise of their office. They must be released from work by their employer for the duration of their term of office. In addition, termination of the employment relationship because of the juror's activity is inadmissible.

Label

Preconditions

Only German citizens are eligible—and, in fact, required—to serve as lay judges. Anyone elected to this office may decline the appointment only for specific reasons prescribed by law. Lay judges must be proficient in the German language.

Lay judges must be at least 25 years old and no older than 69 years old when they take office. The decisive cutoff date for calculating age for the 2029–2033 term is January 1, 2029.

Applicants must reside in Bremen at the time the list of nominees is drawn up. A secondary residence registered with the local authorities is also sufficient if the applicant spends the majority of their time in Bremen.

Lay judges must be physically and mentally fit to perform their duties. They must not be in financial distress (insolvency, excessive debt, personal bankruptcy).

Lay judges should generally possess the following skills:

social skills
insight into human nature and empathy
logical thinking and intuition
professional experience
Freedom from prejudice, even in extreme situations
Knowledge of the fundamentals of criminal procedure, the significance of crime and punishment, and the importance of the role of lay judges
The courage to pass judgment on others, and a sense of responsibility for interfering in the lives of others
A sense of justice; the ability to think in terms of justice
Resilience and flexibility in defending one’s own opinion
Communication and dialogue skills

In addition, youth lay judges should possess expertise in educational matters.

Persons are excluded who

who have been sentenced to a prison term or juvenile sentence (including probation) of more than six months for an intentional offense,
against whom preliminary proceedings are pending for an offense that could result in the loss of the ability to hold public office,
who have violated the principles of humanity or the rule of law, who have served as full-time or unofficial collaborators with the State Security Service of the GDR, or who actively oppose the constitutional order.

Also excluded from serving as lay judges are individuals holding top political offices and those in judicial or judicial-related professions, such as state attorneys and public prosecutors, police officers, attorneys, notaries, court enforcement officers, correctional officers, court clerks, juvenile court clerks, or probation officers.

Hints

Information on Serving as a Lay Judge

Lay Judge Office of the Bremen Regional Court

+49 421 361-4847 (tel:+49 421 361-4847)
office@landgericht.bremen.de

Lay Judge Office at the Bremen Municipal Court

+49 421 361-76633 and -4186 (juvenile lay judges) (tel:+49 421 361-89435 und -4352 (Jugendschöffen))
office@amtsgericht.bremen.de

Administrative Office of the Bremen-Blumenthal Local Court

+49 421 361-7410 (tel:+49 421 361-7410)
office@amtsgericht-blumenthal.bremen.de

fee
Advance payment
no

Procedure

The presidents of the regional and local courts determine, based on the courts’ session dates and the guideline that principal lay judges should not be called upon for more than twelve session days, the number of principal and alternate lay judges required for the coming term in their district, as well as the corresponding numbers for the juvenile justice system.

The municipal authorities announce the election, organize public outreach, accept applications, and compile the lists of nominees. The municipal councils decide on the inclusion of applicants on the lists of nominees. The municipal council for the city of Bremen is the Stadtbürgerschaft, and for the city of Bremerhaven, it is the Stadtverordnetenversammlung. The youth welfare committees decide on the inclusion of candidates on the nomination lists for the juvenile justice system.
The nomination lists are then made available for public review. Anyone may file an objection to individual nominations. The lists (along with any objections, if applicable) are sent to the competent local court. The chairperson of the lay judge selection committee prepares the meeting.

The lay judge selection committees rule on objections to the nomination lists and elect the lay judges who are to serve as principal and alternate lay judges at the local and regional courts in adult and juvenile criminal cases over the next five years.
The elected lay judges are screened for any potential impediments to their election, and the lists of principal and alternate lay judges for general and juvenile criminal cases are sent to the respective court.

The local and regional courts randomly assign the principal lay judges allocated to them to all dates for the main hearings of the trial panels for the respective year. The alternate lay judges are not assigned any dates. They are called upon when a principal lay judge is unable to serve or when substitute lay judges are needed in particularly large cases. The alternate lay judges are selected by lottery for the entire upcoming term of office in a predetermined order from the list of alternate lay judges. The selected candidates are notified by the respective courts regarding their assignment. Candidates who were not selected are informed by the municipal authorities.

Deadlines

There is currently no deadline. The application deadline will be set once the process begins.

Processing time

The decision on whether to include a candidate on the list of nominees will be made within two days. The actual election will take place in the fall of 2028.