The Legal Labyrinth of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: A Comedy of Errors!
Date: October 16, 2024
As I was reading this article about Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s legal woes, I couldn’t shake the feeling it reads like a bad sitcom. You know, where everyone’s scrambling and panicking because they forgot to invite the judge to the party? But alas, it’s not a punchline—it’s the reality of a looming legal catastrophe!
The One University Wonder
Let’s have a chat about Greifswald—where, apparently, you can only study law if you fancy playing legal bingo with your career prospects. That’s right, folks! Just one university for aspiring lawyers in the whole region! It’s like having a diet consisting solely of dry toast—how thrilling. Meanwhile, the judiciary is on the brink of collapse, with a wave of retirements set to sweep through like a rogue wave at a beach party.
Future Trials? More Like Future Tribulations!
The situation paints a picture that’s not only dire but also rather comical if it weren’t so tragic. With a predicted retirement of 282 judges and 600 lawyers, it seems that legal consultations will soon require a lottery ticket—or perhaps a selfie with a tortoise for good luck! Constanze Oehlrich, bless her, has made it clear: the Ministry of Justice seems to have hit the snooze button on addressing this crisis. Someone tell them it’s time to wake up and smell the legal briefs!
Pushing for New Talent? Sounds Simple, Right?
As dignified voices suggest revamping the University of Rostock to churn out more legal eagles, you can’t help but wonder if they actually believe they can make it happen with a sprinkle of pixie dust and a good head of cabbage. Of course, Dirk Stamer blames budget constraints, much like a parent at a buffet: “No dessert for you, we’re on a strict budget!” And he proposes maximizing the existing courses like some sort of academic Marie Kondo. If only “tidying up” also solved personnel shortages, eh?
Students Disenchanted: The Draw of Greifswald
Now, let’s delve into the heart of it all! Students pondering their academic futures are practically treating their options like a Tinder date. “The University of Greifswald? Hmmm… it’s just not the vibe I’m going for. Maybe I’ll swipe right on Kiel or Lüneburg.” You can almost hear the sighs of relief—and the sound of resumes being sent elsewhere, like a tragic romantic comedy where the lead character keeps getting ghosted!
Solving the Legal Jigsaw: A Costly Puzzle
Then there’s Jörg Benedict, who thinks it can be done with a little more criminal law magic and possibly a sprinkle of unregulated unicorn horn. “We just need four new chairs,” he says, as if higher education is Lego: “You want a law degree? Just add a few more bricks!” But of course, these bricks come at the not-so-cheap annual cost of two million euros. A worthy investment, he argues—for what’s more foundational than the rule of law? Let’s face it, that money might just be better spent on a nationwide campaign to convince lawyers to stop leaving for greener pastures!
Chaos Continues: A Slow-Moving Legal Train Wreck
And as if that weren’t enough, cases are piling up like old laundry in a teenager’s room. Divorce cases are apparently backing up so severely that they’re being treated like a never-ending series of cliffhangers. “Will they get divorced? What about the dog? Tune in next week for more!” State Justice Minister Bernhardt admits the burden is high, which is rather like stating that Mount Everest is a bit tall.
If Only It Were Funny…Or Is It?
So here, dear readers, we find ourselves at a crossroads. The situation is ripe for satire, sure, but beneath the laughs lies a stark reality: without intervention, the legal landscape of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania could quickly spiral into a case study of what happens when you ignore your responsibilities like an undergrad ignoring deadlines!
In any case, let’s raise a glass (or a gavel) to hoping they find the light at the end of the very long, very winding tunnel—preferably before those judges retire. For now, this comedy of legal errors is living proof that sometimes the reality is stranger (and funnier) than fiction!
As of: October 16, 2024 3:24 p.m
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania you can only study law for the state examination at one university – Greifswald. At the same time, there is a risk of a massive shortage of personnel in the judiciary, which will be further exacerbated by the coming wave of retirements.
Imagine that you want to fight for your rights and go to court, but: First you can’t find a lawyer to represent you, and then your proceedings drag on for years, if not decades, because there are no female judges. The residents of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will find themselves in this situation more and more often in the future, because the shortage of lawyers is becoming increasingly serious. In the next ten years, 282 judges will retire from public service due to age. The state Ministry of Justice said that around 600 lawyers will reach retirement age during this time. The number of lawyers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will then have been halved compared to today.
Greens: Lack of reaction to the shortage of lawyers in MV
Constanze Oehlerich believes that legal seekers in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will find it increasingly difficult to obtain legal advice.
Constanze Oehlrich, member of the Legal Affairs Committee and chairwoman of the Green parliamentary group in the state parliament, accuses the Ministry of Justice of not having responded appropriately and, above all, not in a timely manner to the shortage of lawyers: “It’s not something that comes suddenly. Demographic change has been happening for a long time Years ago, almost half of the female judges will retire within the next ten years. But what is dramatic is that it will look the same at law firms,” said Oehlrich.
Return of law studies in Rostock discussed
In this context, the proposal to revitalize the law faculty in Rostock as a training location for fully qualified lawyers is repeatedly discussed. You can currently study good governance in Rostock – a mixture of law, economics, politics and philosophy. The graduates acquire the Master of Laws degree. But this does not entitle you to be admitted to the legal traineeship, which in turn is a prerequisite for working as a judge, public prosecutor or lawyer. Until 2008, you could complete a law degree at the University of Rostock, which culminated in a state examination. However, the course was then discontinued for cost reasons.
Stamer explains decision on university structure
Dirk Stamer, higher education policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, explains the decision made at the time: In 2008, the budget situation was just as tight as it is today, so they looked at how the state’s universities could be structured more efficiently and abolish duplicate structures. As a result, it was decided that the University of Rostock would take over the training of teachers and the University of Greifswald that of lawyers. This means that both universities would not have to offer both courses in full. “And the situation we have today with the current budget situation is the same,” says Stamer to NDR MV.
More information
Around 1,500 of the newly enrolled students come from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Around 200 are international students. more
That’s why we have to look at how to use the available resources efficiently. In his view, the existing structures must be exhausted before a new full faculty is established. Specifically, this means: “The University of Greifswald must be trained to produce more graduates. In addition, we must make the legal traineeship in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania more attractive. And then ensure that as many of these lawyers as possible stay here and do not leave the country in favor of other federal states,” said Stamer.
Moving to Greifswald is often problematic for students
The state government’s plan was for successful graduates of the Good Governance course to come to Greifswald and continue their studies there until they take the state examination. However, this number is very low every semester, said the dean’s office of the law faculty in Greifswald.
More information
Around a third of the first semester students come from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. In total, more than 9,800 people study in Greifswald. more
For Jette Beck, who is studying good governance in the fifth semester and would like to take the state exam, the University of Greifswald is not on the short list. Although she definitely wants to stay in the north, she is considering the universities of Kiel and Lüneburg. One crucial reason: word has gotten around among students that more achievements from the good governance studies in Rostock are credited than in Greifswald. And if there was a state exam in law in Rostock, she would stay here, says Jette Beck. Another student reports that she does not want to move to “the smaller and more provincial city of Greifswald” for further studies. Then it’s better to go straight to Berlin.
Law exams in Rostock within two years
By the way, contrary to the agreement made in 2008, you can study teaching at the University of Greifswald again. The shortage of teachers was so urgent that the state government considered this step inevitable.
Jörg Benedict, the dean of the law faculty in Rostock, is convinced that it would be possible to “saddle up” to the good governance course with little effort so that good graduates can take the exam and stay in the country. “What our graduates are missing isn’t much. It’s two or three semesters with some criminal law content and a little more preparation for the exam. If there was political will, we could have the first graduates within two years have who are taking the exam.”
This would require the establishment of four or five new chairs and the resources to maintain them permanently. Jörg Benedict estimates the costs to be around two million euros per year. “The money that would have to be invested in this would be well invested in the rule of law.”
More information
Is there a risk of a clear-cut in the judiciary? Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania apparently does not want to fill positions again. more
The files continue to pile up at the authorities in the country. State Justice Minister Bernhardt admits that the burden is high. more
Because of a lack of staff, divorce cases are backing up in the state capital. A lawyer speaks of a “catastrophe”. more
This topic in the program:
NDR 1 Radio MV | News from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | Oct 16, 2024 | 7:30 p.m
