Wann sind Schöff:innen mit ihrer Rolle zufrieden? Erfahrungen und Einstellungen (When are lay assessors at the German criminal court satisfied with their role? Experiences and attitudes)

Description

In many democratic states governed by the rule of law, laypeople participate in the administration of justice. In the German criminal justice system, these are the Schöffen as part of a mixed tribunal chaired by a professional judge. They are supposed to contribute citizens' views, but also common sense and their life experience to the work of the courts and are largely on an equal footing with professional judges in the ongoing proceedings. What experiences do they make in this office?
The presentation was based on a recent empirical study at local courts in the federal state of Hesse. In addition, there was a group discussion with Schöffen and a survey of the judges presiding mixed tribunals. The study is carried out together with Christoph Rennig and Yundong Luo and is based on previous work (Rennig 1993; Machura 2001).
In short, fairness towards defendants, the fairness of court decisions and the fairness of the presiding judge towards lay colleagues shaped the experience of the Schöffen and their participation in the tribunal’s deliberation. The individual's power distance orientation is one factor influencing the participation of Schöffen.

Period	30 Apr 2026
Event title	Workshop series of the DGS Section Sociology of Law and the German Society of Law and Society
Event type	Workshop
Degree of Recognition	International