Digitalization of the German Legal System from the Perspective of a District Court

Increasing digitalization is affecting all areas of life, including the German legal system. As in other areas, it is becoming clear that digitalization in the justice system brings great advantages in terms of speed, cost and quality, but at the same time it is associated with major challenges, e.g., with regard to data protection and security. This article first looks at the initial situation and traces the increasing digitalization of the German legal system. Recently, the experience gained during the Corona pandemic in the administration of justice has played a significant role in this. Particularly noteworthy are electronic legal transactions (ERV), electronic record keeping and court hearings via videoconferencing. After an interim summary of the status quo, the necessary measures for further digitalization of the justice system are presented and evaluated. The experience gained so far in the successive implementation of further digitalization measures will be highlighted and explained in detail on the basis of the working methods of a large German district court. Finally, an outlook on possible future developments in the judiciary is given. All digitalization efforts must take into account aspects relevant to society as a whole—such as continued proximity to citizens, effective legal protection and sustainability.