LEX INJUSTA NON EST (LEX)   

Int. Students at Germany's highest court of general jurisdiction 

 
International students of Pforzheim University’s Business School participated in a guided tour through the Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof – BGH), Germany's highest court of general jurisdiction. The BHG is located in Karlsruhe, southwest Germany.

After a security check at the entrance, Judge Zigann welcomed our students in the BGH’s library, the largest court library in Germany with a total of approx. 447,400 titles and lively  informed on the organization and the tasks of this court.
The tour included the BGH’S main building, the Hereditary Grand Duke's Palace (“Erbgroßherzogliches Palais”) with a visit of a Civil Panel room and further new courtrooms in the Federal Court’s Extension Building.

The group with students from China, Ecuador, France, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea, UK had the chance to participate in a short “open-air-lecture” held by Prof. Brönneke on the Federal Constitutional Court's history and tasks, namely to ensure that all institutions of the state obey the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany.

In the courtyard students could see the sculpture “LEX INJUSTA NON EST (LEX)” (by Rudolf Herz), consisting of stainless steel letters arranged in a circle and forming the endless sentence emphasizing the relationship between justice and the law. Placed between two courtrooms our students passed another work of art, "Alles in Ordnung" (everything in good order, by Georg Herold) a showcase displaying water-filled glass containers on slanting wooden shelves, meant to symbolize the balancing role of the judiciary.

The trip to Karlsuhe, organized and accompanied by Pforzheim University law professors Dr. Ralph Schmitt and Dr. Tobias Brönneke, was rounded out by a walk to Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court also located in Karlsruhe. The group with students from China, Ecuador, France, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Russia, Slovenia, South Korea, UK had the chance to participate in a short “open-air-lecture” held by Prof. Brönneke on the Federal Constitutional Court's history and tasks, namely to ensure that all institutions of the state obey the constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany.
 
Photos (1,3,4: S. Baumann, www.ofd-karlsruhe.de /2, 5 J. Ebert)
Text J. Ebert (Sources: bundesgerichtshof.de,  bundesverfassungsgericht.de )
Trip organization: Lea Birkenmeier