Summary

This June, judges hearing administrative cases had the opportunity to become familiarised with the administrative procedure in Hamburg under the Twinning Programme for Training Judges conducted between the Estonian Ministry of Justice and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein. The author briefly outlines the German judicial system, the principles applicable to the membership of the courts, the procedure for contesting administrative legislation, the application of the investigative principle, the administration of courts and the administrative functions of German judges. In addition, the author examines proceedings regarding social assistance cases in the Hamburg Court, the freedom of demonstration in Germany and the guarantee of such freedom through the court procedure. The author draws parallels with the relevant provisions of the Estonian substantive and procedure law and points out several problem areas both in the Estonian procedure law and substantive law as well as in the implementation of the law and in general attitudes.