Germany Faces Critical Shortage of 2,000 Prosecutors Impacting Justice System

Germany is currently grappling with a significant shortage of approximately 2,000 criminal prosecutors, leading to notable delays and inefficiencies in the legal process, according to the German Judges Association (Deutscher Richterbund). Sven Rebehn, managing director of the association, highlighted that in most federal states, three prosecutors are having to manage the workload that would typically require four, resulting in prolonged criminal proceedings and an increase in minor cases being dismissed prematurely.

The personnel gap is particularly acute in North Rhine-Westphalia, where the shortfall has grown by about 100 prosecutors, reaching over 500 missing staff compared to the previous year. This staffing crisis has raised urgent calls for political action ahead of the summer recess to bolster the judiciary’s capacity.

Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig (SPD) has responded by announcing a revamped 'Pact for the Rule of Law' scheduled for 2026. This pact will channel approximately half a billion euros over the next four years to create new justice positions and improve the digital infrastructure of the legal system. Digitalization forms a key pillar of this pact, with the federal government committing 70 million euros annually from 2027 to 2029 to support these modernization efforts.

Federal Finance Minister Lars Klingbeil (SPD) stressed the importance of adequately equipped public prosecutors for combating tax fraud and evasion effectively.

However, the pact’s funding model has met with criticism from state leaders. Boris Rhein, Prime Minister of Hesse (CDU), deplored the federal government's plan to finance additional judge positions for only one or two years, which would oblige states to shoulder the long-term costs of these lifelong posts. Due to these concerns, Rhein indicated that Hessen would not agree to further pacts under the current funding framework.

The German Judges Association thus urges swift and decisive cooperation between the federal government and states to address these staffing shortages and ensure the timely administration of justice.