Events

The presidents of the five supreme federal courts meet annually in order to exchange views on current topics of judicial and legal policy. This year’s discussions in Leipzig involved, inter alia, the digitisation of court proceedings and of the operational processes within the courts, IT equipment as well as personnel matters.

On 3 June 2021, the "Horst Sendler" prize of the Federal Administrative Court was awarded for the first time to two young scholars. The prize recognises outstanding scientific achievements in the fields of general administrative law, law of administrative court procedure and administrative jurisdiction. The name is reminiscent of the former President of the Federal Administrative Court Prof. Dr. Horst Sendler. Dr. Patrick Hilbert was honoured in the category "papers". Dr. Torben Ellerbrok received the award in the category "monographs".

By its Moot Court in administrative law, ELSA (European Law Students' Association) offers law students the possibility to participate in a simulated court proceeding in administrative law as fictitious parties to the proceedings. The finale of the fourth edition took place on 20 November 2020 at the Federal Administrative Court.
After the preliminary round, the best four teams of two were invited to Leipzig. Here, the teams took part in two semi-finals, after which the judges selected the two finalist teams. The duo from the University of Göttingen was able to convince the judges of the Federal Administrative Court and won this year's ELSA Moot Court in administrative law.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the German Basic Law, the presidents and some of the judges of the supreme courts of Germany and Russia met at the Federal Administrative Court. This meeting forms part of a tradition of the German-Russian dialogue on the rule of law that has been organised by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung since 1996. Discussions in the meeting focussed on the genesis of the Basic Law and the Constitution of Russia, jurisprudence under the pressure of social media, the judicial independence, the digitisation of the judicial system as well as on the relationship between national and supranational courts.

The European Asylum Support Office (EASO) organised, together with the Federal Administrative Court, a conference on "Current challenges facing the Common European Asylum System using the example of Germany and Austria". It was the first EASO seminar in German and brought together more than 70 judges, mainly from Germany and Austria, but also from Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Ireland and Latvia. The discussions focussed on the distinction between refugee protection and subsidiary protection, the refugee status due to membership of a particular social group, the credibility assessment in cases of religious conversion and homosexuality, internal flight alternatives and the resettlement of recognised beneficiaries of protection. EASO informed the participants about the current situation with regard to security and persecutions in some countries of origin of refugees, especially in Afghanistan.

The Vice President of the Conseil d’État, Bruno Lasserre, and six further members of the French Council of State visited the Federal Administrative Court on the occasion of a joint working meeting. It was the sixth meeting of this kind which takes place every two years, alternately in Paris and in Leipzig. These meetings are part of a friendly cooperation relationship that also includes regularly working visits of judges and research associates. In addition, the two partner courts publish each other’s decisions on selected topics in law journals (so-called "publications croisées").

The 72nd German Jurists Forum took place from 26 to 28 September 2018 in Leipzig. The convention started with an evening reception with about 300 guests at the Federal Administrative Court at the invitation of the Minister-President of the Free State of Saxony.

The presidents of the five Federal Supreme Courts meet every year in order to discuss current issues of legal and judicial policy. The meeting in Leipzig focussed, amongst others, on the electronic legal communication as well as on matters of civil service law, legal training, staffing and data protection. Other issues of discussion were the courts’ press and public relations as well as the work of their documentation units.

In June 2018, the Federal Administrative Court received a delegation of six representatives from India including Supreme Court judges and legal experts. The meeting was held as part of a one-week dialogue on the rule of law between Germany and India which was organised by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung. Discussions focused on issues such as separation of powers, independence of judiciary, appointment of judges and access to the supreme courts in both countries.

A delegation from the Supreme Administrative Court of Poland visited the Federal Administrative Court in September 2017. The visit was used to discuss topical issues within administrative law and administrative procedure law. Work meetings between the two courts are organised every two years.

The Leipziger Dialog was held at the Federal Administrative Court for the first time in May 2017. It was attended by more than 300 administrative court judges from throughout Germany. Current legal issues were addressed in nine discussion forums. The Leipziger Dialog is used for discussions among colleagues without reference to specific cases. There are plans to repeat the event every three to four years. The Leipziger Dialog is organised jointly by the Federal Administrative Court and the Association of Administrative Court Judges in Germany (BDVR).

In September 2016 members of the supreme administrative courts of Liechtenstein, Austria and Switzerland visited the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig. The discussions covered the topic religion and schools as well as questions of asylum law.

A delegation from the Curia of Hungary visited the Federal Administrative Court in June 2016. The Curia is the supreme judicial authority for disputes of a non-constitutional nature. The two sides discussed four topical issues from within administrative law.

German Federal President Joachim Gauck visited the Federal Administrative Court in May 2016. Besides attending expert discussions and taking part in a tour of the building, he also addressed judges and staff members of the court in the Great Courtroom. In his speech, he stressed the importance of administrative courts for a liberal state governed by the rule of law.

Donna Scheeder, President of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), visited the Federal Administrative Court in March 2016. She discussed digital access to legal information with President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Klaus Rennert. Domiciled in Den Haag, the IFLA is the umbrella organisation for national library associations and national libraries. It has approximately 1,500 members in 150 states. The information services at the Federal Administrative Court contribute to IFLA projects through membership in the German Association of Libraries (DBV).

The German translation of the ReNEUAL draft of model rules for European administrative law was presented in the Federal Administrative Court in November 2015. This draft presents the quintessential aspects of the various national systems of procedural law. It is a prime example of how national legal orders contribute to European law. The draft was prepared by experts from academia and practice in numerous European states. The Federal Administrative Court supports the project. There are plans to address the ReNEUAL project in two seminars during the German presidency of ACA-Europe.

The Federal Court of Justice and the Federal Administrative Court held a symposium in October 2015 to mark 120 years since the construction of the Federal Administrative Court building. The event was opened by Dr Stefanie Hubig, State Secretary of the German Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection. Prof. em. Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Dieter Grimm, retired judge of the Federal Constitutional Court, held the ceremonial address. The symposium touched on both structural and architectural questions and analysed the jurisprudence of the Imperial Court of Justice in more detail.

Visitors were invited to tour the court building and learn more about the Court’s work during Open Day in July 2015. Open Day was the Court’s contribution to the festivities marking the 1000th anniversary of Leipzig. Visitors thronged the building. The programme included information on the Court’s competencies and methods. Children were invited to take part in a role-play trial. The architecture and the building itself were also explained. The Court organised tours of the library and provided information on its training programmes. Last but not least, President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Klaus Rennert personally welcomed the visitors in his historical office.

A delegation from the French Council of State visited the Federal Administrative Court in April 2015. The delegation was led by Conseil d’État Vice President Jean-Marc Sauvé.Discussions of the different legal systems in four specialist topics dominated the visit: democratic legitimisation and court oversight of independent agencies, judicial remedies in environmental law, freedom of religion and public participation in major projects.Work meetings of this kind have been held alternately in Paris and Leipzig since 2009. They enable collegial discussion of judicial procedures in topics that are of equal interest on either side of the Rhine.President Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Klaus Rennert and his counterpart Jean-Marc Sauvé agreed to strengthen cooperation by launching a joint project: Important decisions by the Courts and summary essays will be translated and published in an academic journal in the respective other country. Partners in the project are Revue française de droit administratif and Neue Zeitschrift für Verwaltungsrecht.