Voluntary work Appointment as a youth alderman

• §§ 28 et seq. of the Court Constitution Act (Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz, GVG)

Documents may be required. Please contact the competent authority.

• German citizenship
• Ability to speak German
• Reaching the age of 25
• Age maximum 70 years at the beginning of the term of office
• Residence in the district of the administrative authority responsible for drawing up the lists of candidates
• Health suitability
• Educational skills and experience in youth education
• Ability to hold public office
• No ongoing investigation
• No final judgment for imprisonment of more than 6 months for an intentional act
• No exercise of a profession in the occupational groups
  • Professional judges
  • Public prosecutors
  • Lawyers
  • Notaries
  • Police officers and pastors

There are no fees.

For the election of youth aldermen, lists of candidates are drawn up by the youth welfare committees of the competent authority.

Candidates for the office of youth alderman may be proposed to the competent authority. If fewer persons are proposed than needed, the competent authority will propose suitable candidates on its own initiative.

The inclusion in the list of proposals is made by the youth aldermen by decision of the youth welfare committee.

The lists of proposals shall be made available to the public for inspection once they have been drawn up. Anyone may object to the nominated candidates within a period of one week on the grounds that certain candidates are not suitable for the office of alderman.

The lists of candidates and any objections are sent to the local district court. This is where the aldermen election committee meets, which includes seven confidants elected by the local municipality. It is chaired by a judge at the district court. The committee first decides on the objections and then selects the necessary number of principal and assistant aldermen from the lists of candidates.

At the end of each year, the order in which the principal aldermen attend the ordinary meetings of the following financial year is determined by the court by drawing lots.

The lay judges are sworn in at the beginning of their duties in open session of the court. The oath or a corresponding pledge can be taken with or without a religious affirmation formula ("so help me God"). The swearing-in is valid for the entire duration of the parliamentary term.

Elections are held every 5 years.

Principal lay judges are called upon directly on the respective sitting days of the court.

Auxiliary lay judges, on the other hand, are only called upon when principal lay judges are prevented from attending for important reasons or at unscheduled sessions of the court.

The order in which the assistant aldermen are called upon is drawn at the beginning of the parliamentary term.

• Further information on the website of the Lower Saxony Ministry of Justice
• Further information on the office of alderman

The text was automatically translated based on the German content.

The responsibility lies with the district, the district-free city and  some municipalities belonging to the district.