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noun

das Landgericht, -e

district court · regional court · Regional Court

Ein Gericht für größere Streitfälle, das über Entscheidungen von unteren Gerichten steht und wichtigere Fälle behandelt.

Definition & meaning

A Landgericht is a regional court in the German judicial system. It occupies the middle tier of the "ordinary jurisdiction" (ordentliche Gerichtsbarkeit), positioned between the local court (Amtsgericht) and the higher regional court (Oberlandesgericht).

The Landgericht has two primary functions:

  1. Court of First Instance: It hears civil cases where the amount in dispute exceeds a certain threshold (currently 5,000 Euros) and specific types of serious criminal cases (such as those involving expected sentences of more than four years).
  2. Court of Appeal: It serves as the appellate court for decisions made by the local courts (Amtsgericht) in both civil and criminal matters.

Grammar & Word origin

The word is a compound noun consisting of two parts:

  • Land: In this legal context, it refers to the federal state or a specific region.
  • Gericht: Meaning "court" or "tribunal."

Grammatically, it is a neuter noun (das Landgericht). Its plural form is created by adding an "-e" at the end: die Landgerichte.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

  • Regionalgericht: A more general term for a court serving a specific region.
  • Instanzgericht: A general term for a court that represents a specific level of the judicial hierarchy.

Antonyms (in terms of hierarchy):

  • Amtsgericht: The lower-level local court.
  • Oberlandesgericht: The higher-level regional court.
  • Bundesgerichtshof: The Federal Court of Justice, which is the highest level in ordinary jurisdiction.

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Examples

Der Prozess findet beim Landgericht statt.noun

The trial takes place at the district court.

Vor dem Landgericht wird heute ein wichtiges Urteil erwartet.noun

An important verdict is expected at the regional court today.

Haben Sie gegen das Urteil des Landgerichts Berufung eingelegt?noun

Have you appealed the judgment of the Regional Court?

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