Juvenile juror election

Every five years, equal numbers of youth court judges are elected for the next term of office. For the term of office from January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2028, around 350 men and women were appointed to their office by the local courts after formal suitability checks. These honorary judges are involved in all decisions in the main hearing of juvenile criminal law cases and have the same voting rights as the professional judges.

A court of lay assessors for juvenile cases is made up of a female or male judge and two lay assessors for juvenile cases (consisting of one woman and one man). Due to their own experience in the education of young people, they contribute to an age-appropriate organization of the hearing. As a juvenile lay assessor, you should have experience in dealing with young people.

The office of lay judge is an honorary position that every citizen is obliged to accept. In addition to an absolutely impartial attitude, it also requires a sense of responsibility for reaching a verdict, knowledge of human nature, communication skills and empathy.

Anyone who decides to take on this office should have a certain flexibility with regard to scheduling and be physically able to sit for long periods of time. It also means committing to the office for five years. In principle, you should be at least 25 years old and not yet 70. Only those who have German citizenship, speak good German and live in Stuttgart are eligible for the Stuttgart district court district.