Offenburg District Court's pilot project receives praise from Gentges, lauding its progress.
**Part-Time Leadership in the German Justice System Gains Momentum**
A shift towards part-time leadership roles is gaining traction within the German justice system, with part-time leadership already being assumed at various levels, including departmental management in public prosecutor's offices, local courts, and the Ministry of Justice. This development, while facing some legal and traditional barriers, is being met with enthusiasm as it presents potential benefits, particularly in terms of attracting diverse talent and promoting work-life balance.
Currently, only 14% of all leadership positions in the justice system are held part-time. However, Justice Minister Marion Gentges of Baden-Württemberg has expressed her support for more men working part-time for family reasons, enabling their partners to work. Siegfried, the president of the Offenburg District Court, shares this sentiment, stating that shared leadership roles increase the attractiveness of the justice system as an employer.
One of the key challenges in implementing part-time leadership is the judicial appointment and career structure in Germany. The system relies heavily on career judges who are appointed through a formalized process, with an emphasis on independence, full-time dedication, and long-term tenure within the judiciary. This career structure may implicitly restrict part-time leadership roles because judicial responsibilities, especially at leadership levels, typically demand full availability and continuous engagement.
Despite these challenges, the Ministry of Justice is aiming to change the regulation that currently does not allow for shared administrative leadership by two equally ranked part-time officials. A pilot project called "Leading Part-Time" has been initiated in the Offenburg District Court, with two colleagues sharing the roles in the administrative management. The ministry is examining the opportunities, possibilities, and limits of "dual leadership" in courts and justice authorities.
The focus of the ministry extends to leadership tasks in the administrative management of authorities within the higher service. The ministry aims to enable and promote part-time employment in all leadership positions in the higher service through the "Leading Part-Time" project. The goal is to increase the number of part-time employees in leadership positions in the justice system.
The topic of "Leading Part-Time" particularly affects women in the justice system, as only slightly more than a third of all leadership positions are held by women. Siegfried believes that part-time leaders are particularly dependent on efficiency to increase productivity. Jennifer Reich, who can be contacted at the provided email address for further information, is working on these issues within the ministry.
As the justice system evolves, the potential benefits of part-time leadership, such as attracting younger judges, enhancing work-life balance, and flexibility in case management and specialization, suggest that reforms could be worthwhile to consider. The evolving landscape of courts like the Commercial Court and UPC, which introduce some innovative staffing and procedural approaches, could serve as testing grounds for such changes.
- The Ministry of Justice is exploring the use of data-and-cloud-computing technology to optimize the "Leading Part-Time" project and increase the efficiency of part-time leaders in administrative management.
- As the justice system adapts to part-time leadership, the potential benefits could include attracting diverse talent who prefer or require data-and-cloud-computing technologies for flexible work arrangements.
