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Legal Proceedings

According to the 2008 Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum, Germany occupies top slot in the "Efficiency of Legal Framework" and "Judicial Independence" categories. Hence, companies and entrepreneurs can count on a reliable legal system. Numerous international law firms are represented in Germany.

The Courts

In Germany, ordinary courts which hear civil and criminal disputes are organized at different levels. There are:

local courts (Amtsgericht)
regional courts (Landgericht)
higher regional courts (Oberlandesgericht)
and the Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) at the highest level

A right of appeal is usually permitted against initial decisions. Under these circumstances, higher courts up to the level of the Federal Court of Justice settle the case.