Germany takes a strict stance on the importation of narcotics. Both physically bringing drugs across the border and assisting in doing so can lead to significant prison sentences. Foreign participants – from couriers to organizers – regularly come into contact with German criminal law. The case law of the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), Germany’s highest criminal court, shows how nuanced, yet strict, the evaluation of such offenses is.
Category: Criminal Defense
In recent years, German courts have been increasingly confronted with the intricate legal questions posed by informal money transfer systems, particularly the widely used Hawala model. Traditionally rooted in trust-based financial practices common across South Asia and the Middle East, Hawala banking offers a parallel structure to formal banking by enabling cross-border money transfers without the movement of physical cash.
While this system often serves benign familial and humanitarian purposes, its lack of transparency, regulatory evasion, and potential misuse for criminal purposes have prompted intensified legal responses. Central to the jurisprudence is not only the criminal liability of those operating such systems, but also the challenging task of delineating when and how state authorities can seize or forfeit the associated financial flows.
Tobacco tax and shisha tobacco in German criminal tax law: The increasing popularity of shisha bars and water pipe tobacco has not only stimulated the market, but has also aroused the interest of the customs administration. With the introduction of the Tobacco Tax Modernization Act and stricter tobacco tax regulations, the industry is facing considerable challenges.
In particular, the German tax liability when mixing tobacco components and the strict packaging regulations pose considerable criminal law risks for retailers and consumers. In this article, we highlight the legal pitfalls and the risk of criminal tax proceedings in connection with waterpipe tobacco.
The power of attorney for service plays an important role in German criminal procedure as it allows documents to be served not directly to the defendant but to a person designated by them. This is intended to speed up and simplify the procedure but also carries significant risks.
Especially for foreigners, who often lack knowledge of the legal consequences and make hasty decisions when appointing the agent, this can have fatal outcomes. In this article, I will discuss the legal basis of the power of attorney for service, its risks, and the specific issues for foreign defendants. I will also provide concrete practical recommendations.
The financing of terrorist activities is a crucial component of global security threats. Funds for such activities can originate from both legal and illegal sources, often disguised as seemingly legitimate transactions. Governments and international organizations have created an increasingly complex regulatory framework to effectively combat terrorist financing. However, as with any criminal law regulation, this endeavor presents significant legal challenges.
Biotechnology ranges from traditional genetic engineering to the development of personalized medicine and synthetic biology, which modifies biological systems using a modular principle. Thanks to CRISPR-Cas9, DNA can be edited in a targeted manner, while biotechnological processes are increasingly being used in industrial production – whether for the manufacture of medicines, artificial organisms or even drugs. But where innovations sprout, there are also legal and ethical pitfalls.
Biotechnology not only opens up unimagined medical and economic opportunities, but also harbors considerable risks, particularly in the area of crime. I summarize this new dimension of criminally relevant offences under the keyword “BiotechCrime “.
Your lawyer in Germany if you are affected by a European arrest warrant: The European Union has set itself the goal of creating a constitutional foundation that facilitates the smooth exchange and cooperation between its member states.
An outstanding example of this integration process is the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), which has revolutionized the extradition procedure between EU member states. Since its introduction in 2002, it has served as a key instrument in combating cross-border crime and ensuring effective prosecution. But what exactly is the European arrest warrant, how does it work, and how do you defend yourself as a victim in Germany?
Your criminal defence lawyer in Germany: Our law firm specializes in criminal defence in Germany and offers you lawyers available at short notice. Especially if someone has been arrested and is to be extradited from Germany – or is to be extradited to Germany, we are available for you immediately! We work seamlessly with colleagues abroad.
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Red Notice
What is a “Red Notice”: A “Red Notice” is a worldwide request, via Interpol, to national law enforcement authorities to locate and provisionally detain a person awaiting extradition, surrender or similar legal proceedings. Briefly described: A “Red Notice” is an international wanted notice, but not an arrest warrant.
Please note that we are criminal defense lawyers in Germany and can therefore only help if you are looking for support in Germany. If you are wanted in another country, you must find a local lawyer!
A Red Notice is therefore not an“international arrest warrant” and contains two main pieces of information for the search for persons:
- Information to identify the wanted person, such as name, date of birth, nationality, hair and eye color, photos and fingerprints.
- Information related to the crime for which this person is wanted – which, according to Interpol, is usually murder, rape, child abuse or armed robbery, not petty offenses.
Gambling has always fascinated people. However, while they are an exciting leisure activity for many, their legal framework in Germany harbors numerous risks – both for providers and participants. This article highlights the legal regulations that providers must observe and explains the potential criminal consequences for participants in illegal gambling.
In a recent article, Manager-Magazin (MM) highlighted an alarming development in the field of weight training: trenbolone, a steroid originally developed for cattle breeding, has become a dangerous trend in bodybuilding and recreational sports. Under the guise of fitness and body cult, a substance is being celebrated whose side effects and risks are alarming.