Columns
Legal observations, commentary and stories from practice – written by Stephan Szarvasy.
Biased with Enthusiasm
A few weeks ago the news broke: the public prosecutor's office applied to have the presiding judge recused in the Mannheim trial of the alleged right-wing terrorist group "S".
The Absolute Number-One Super-Star Lawyer, with Seal of Approval!
A glance at any search engine for lawyer rankings and quality seals shows an impressive array of supposedly objective distinctions.
My Collegial Colleague Strate
Hamburg defence lawyer Gerhard Strate is — and I say this without hesitation — one of the most remarkable advocates of his generation.
A Hint with the Guide-Post
Once again, the German transport ministry is trying a ministerial tweak to bail out drivers caught by the speed-camera network.
The Clock Is Ticking
In employment law there is one rule that dictates the entire life of a dismissal case: three weeks.
The Civilising Veneer
There are moments when you realise how thin the civilising veneer is. Never thinner than in an emergency.
A Rose Is a Rose Is a Rose…
Gertrude Stein's famous line is a gentle reminder that words do not multiply reality just by being repeated. Legal language has found a way around that rule.
Successful Preliminary Injunction Against a Kiel Towing Company
A victory worth reporting: the Kiel Regional Court has, at our motion, issued a preliminary injunction against a local towing company that had been abusing the system in a particularly creative way.
Golden Times at the Crematorium
A recurring subject at funerals and, increasingly, in our inheritance consultations: what happens to the gold teeth of the deceased?
Your Right to Free Choice of Lawyer — Why You Should Not Let Your Legal-Expenses Insurer Steer You
Anyone who has had reason to call their legal-expenses insurer knows the friendly tone: "We have an excellent lawyer in your area, we can set up the mandate for you right away."
Legalise It?
Monheim's city council had to consider an application by a Cologne man who wanted to open a "club" in which cannabis would be grown and consumed.
Mosques for People from Monheim
Monheim's city council is currently debating the construction of a mosque. That deserves a few plain words about freedom of religion.
Speak Now, or Forever Hold Your Peace
The line is from the wedding ceremony. In criminal law we have a variant of it: the right to remain silent. And the right to speak — but only with a lawyer.
And what do you specialise in?
At a dinner party I am asked — perhaps for the hundredth time — what I specialise in. The honest answer annoys the questioner, so let me try a better one.
Unfortunate Bequests
Anyone who thinks they can "settle the estate later" should read the following lines. An estate waits for nobody, and the older it gets, the more creative the problems become.
Becoming a Father Is Easy…
The rest of the nursery rhyme — "… but being one is hard" — has become a motto for legal conversations about family law.
When "Nazis" and "Damn Foreigners" Get Along
For three days a neighbourhood dispute between a middle-aged German pensioner and a young Turkish-German family was the object of my work.
Zombies in the Fine Print
They do not bite. They do not chase. But they stay. Terms and conditions that re-appear in new contracts, even though the legislator buried them years ago.