Saxony in a decline: less accelerated procedures in the judicial system!

Saxony in a decline: less accelerated procedures in the judicial system!

Meißen, Deutschland - In Saxony, the judicial landscape is becoming more and more dynamic - at least when it comes to using accelerated procedures. More precisely, the Saxon public prosecutors made fewer applications for such procedures last year (2023). While the number of applications in 2023 was 212, there were 325 in the previous year, such as Diesachsen.de reported.

The idea behind these quick procedures? The judiciary should react quickly to criminal incidents, especially for offenses with low or medium guilt content, such as shop theft or drug trafficking. However, the use of these procedures seems to be different in recent years. Since the request for increased use in 2018, there have been a total of 3,243 applications, but a clear evidence is a prerequisite so that the indictment can be levied verbally. In such cases, the accused often have a court date within 24 hours.

The development of applications

The Saxon judiciary has clearly recognized since 2018 that accelerated procedures are advantageous for both the judiciary itself and for society. According to Saechsische.de , the public prosecutors are increasingly submitting applications for these fast decisions. In 2018, 238 applications were started, and the number was already 702 in 2019. The number for 2020 with 695 applications and a monthly high phase of up to 100 applications is particularly noticeable in 2019.

2019 and 2020, many people quickly had to answer for their crimes. Over 51 percent of the applications concerned theft offenses. In the Zwickau area, even a model for accelerated enforcement is tested, in which convicts are in custody.

political dimension and deterrent effect

But not only the numbers speak a language. Politically, the quick persecution of offenses is intensively discussed. Politicians call for increased use of the quick procedures to deter potential perpetrators. A concrete incident from Dresden recently made this clear when a drunk individual disrupted a CDU election campaign stand and was directly targeted by the public prosecutor due to his actions. Thanks to a clear evidence, an accelerated procedure was applied to the district court, which should lead to the process within a week. MDR reports of the exact requirements: A simple fact and a clear evidence is a prerequisite, so that the judiciary can act as quickly as possible.

But the future looks dark for the quick procedures, because while Saxony initially recorded rising figures, due to current trends, it is predicted that fewer than 250 procedures could come about by the end of 2024. This is a massive acceptance, because a few years ago the numbers were much higher.

The challenges are obvious: the judiciary is overloaded, the number of judges and prosecutors is declining, and the effort for accelerated procedures increases. The demands for faster justice at the same time contradict the reality of the judiciary.

The Saxon judiciary must now master the balancing act between efficiency and justice. The coming months and years will show how this dynamic is developing, while society is waiting for a quick but fair judiciary.