The German government wants to make it easier to get rid of “extremists” in the judiciary, which category includes those who engage in “hate speech”. “Hate speech” is one of those elastic terms that allows the Powers That Be to suppress any opinions they don’t like.

Many thanks to Hellequin GB for translating this article from Der Spiegel. The translator’s comments are in square brackets:

Fight against extremists in the civil service

Stricter disciplinary law should also apply to judges

The federal government wants to remove extremists from public service more quickly in the future. Now the cabinet has decided: the tightening of the law should also include enemies of the constitution on the bench of judges.

Until now, it has often taken years before extremists can be dismissed from public service. The federal government wants to change that and quickly take action, even for enemies of the constitution who may be on the bench.

The federal government’s plans for a faster removal of extremists from the public service should also include judges. This was decided by the cabinet, which thus responded to a corresponding proposal by the Federal Council. The chamber of the federal states had asked to examine whether the judicial reasons for termination could be adjusted in such a way that the same standards apply to civil servants and judges in the case of criminal convictions for hate speech. [And who decides what hate speech is?]

In the future, the competent authorities should be able to issue all disciplinary measures by means of a decree and would then no longer have to file lengthy disciplinary actions before administrative courts. This applies to all disciplinary measures, including demotion, removal from civil service and withdrawal of pension. However, those affected can then defend themselves before administrative courts.

Doubts about the effectiveness of the planned reform

Disciplinary lawsuits in the federal administration currently last four years on average, and in some cases even much longer, according to Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD). Hesse’s Interior Minister Peter Beuth (CDU) expressed doubts that the planned reform would lead to a significant acceleration of the process. This would only succeed in cases where those affected would not appeal against their dismissal from the civil service.

According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, the reform is also intended to eliminate “disproportionate financial incentives to delay disciplinary proceedings.” Extremists who have been legally removed from service would have to pay back continued payments in the future. In addition, a final conviction for incitement to hatred should result in the loss of official rights with even a prison sentence of at least six months — previously one year.

Afterword from the translator:

Somehow this smacks to me of implementing a way to get rid of judges that uphold the law instead of the government’s prescribed line, and to make it easier to place their own stooges and ideological retards into seats of judicial power. In other words, it’s ideological nepotism that’s being implemented here. Something like this has happened before, just after a certain Austrian painter became Chancellor.

On the other hand, what’s good for the goose… I really would like to see such a regulation for our political actors, one that takes effect in the event of abuse of office. Most of them would be standing in the unemployment line within a week. Not that something like this is ever going to happen, given the way that system is rigged to their advantage, but one can dream, now, can’t one?