An (In)dependent Judiciary – How Do We Protect Our Courts?

„Let’s Talk About Law“—the interactive discussion series is entering its next round at the Forum Recht Foundation’s Karlsruhe location.

Karlsruhe. The next issue of the interactive discussion series „Let’s Talk About Law“ takes place on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 7:00 p.m., at the Karlsruhe office of the Forum Recht Foundation. This time, the focus is on the (vulnerable) independence of the judiciary. The guests are Stefanie Otte, President of the Higher Regional Court of Celle, and Prof. Dr. Malte Graßhof, President of the Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg and the Constitutional Court of Baden-Württemberg.

„Judges are independent and subject only to the law“—this is what our Basic Law stipulates in Article 97. Guaranteeing judicial independence is a fundamental pillar of the rule of law, without which a liberal democracy is inconceivable. Only where judges can render decisions independently of directives or other influences and are bound solely by the law can an effective check be placed on the repressive exercise of power by political actors. For several years now, we have increasingly observed that the independence of the judiciary in formerly liberal democracies is being called into question and weakened by political reforms. Reforms in Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and Croatia, for example, show that the judiciary is often one of the first targets of authoritarian efforts to push through goals that run counter to the liberal-democratic consensus that has prevailed in the EU for decades. In Germany, too—particularly at the level of individual federal states—there are efforts to weaken the judiciary.

Together with the host Alena Lagmöller (ARD Legal Editorial Department) accuse Stefanie Otte, President of the Higher Regional Court of Celle, and Prof. Dr. Malte Graßhof, President of the Constitutional Court of Baden-Württemberg and the Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg, will provide an overview of the situation of the courts in Germany: What is the state of our judicial system? Where is it at risk, and how can we protect it? These and other compelling questions will be discussed in a joint panel discussion. The audience is cordially invited to join the discussion and contribute their own questions.

Stefanie Otte is a lawyer and President of the Higher Regional Court of Celle; she previously served as State Secretary in the Lower Saxony Ministry of Justice. She is also a mediator, a permanent member of the Lower Saxony State Constitutional Court, and co-editor of various professional journals. In addition, Stefanie Otte advocates for the digitization of the justice system on various committees. The Lawyer Prof. Dr. Malte Graßhof He is President of the Administrative Court of Baden-Württemberg and also President of the Constitutional Court of Baden-Württemberg. Since 2018, he has been teaching as an honorary professor at the School of Law at Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen.

The conversation will take place at 7:00 p.m. in the Forum Recht Foundation in Karlsruhe (Karlstraße 45 A). Admission is free. Registration is not required. The foundation cordially invites the audience to join the discussion and contribute their own questions.

Let's Talk About Law
Since 2025, the Forum Recht Foundation has been regularly hosting the „Let’s Talk About Recht“ discussion series at its venues in Karlsruhe and Leipzig. The guests are prominent figures from various fields of law who discuss their day-to-day work and share their perspectives on current legal topics—ranging from labor law and tenancy law to freedom of speech. The discussions are recorded and subsequently released as a live-on-tape podcast.