Bilateral visit to the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany
3-5 April 2023
In April, four of the UK Supreme Court Justices travelled to Karlsruhe, Germany for a bilateral exchange with the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany.
The UK delegation comprised:
- The Right Hon The Lord Reed of Allermuir, President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
- The Right Hon Lord Lloyd-Jones, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
- The Right Hon Lord Kitchin, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
- The Right Hon Lord Leggatt, Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
The German delegation comprised:
- Prof. Dr. Stephan Harbarth, LL.M. (Yale), President of the Federal Constitutional Court
- Prof. Dr. Doris König, Vice-President of the Federal Constitutional Court
- Dr. Yvonne Ott, Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court
- Dr. Josef Christ, Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court
- Prof. Dr. Henning Radtke, Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court
- Prof. Dr. Ines Härtel, Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court
- Prof. Dr. Heinrich Amadeus Wolff, Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court
- Thomas Offenloch, Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court
- Prof. Dr. Martin Eifert, LL.M. (Berkeley), Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court
The first working session, chaired by President Harbarth, focused on climate change and assisted suicide.
The second working session, chaired by Vice-President König, explored the relationship between the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights and national law and courts. The Justices also spoke about the digitalisation of justice.
Following the discussions, the Supreme Court Justices took part in a cultural visit to Heidelberg.
This bilateral visit is part of a long-standing relationship between the Supreme Court and the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany.