New German Law: Mass Civil Proceedings Go Digital – Justice Digitalisation 2025

In 2025, Germany will take an important step towards the digitalisation of its justice system. The Federal Ministry of Justice has already presented a draft law that will enable citizens and companies to file claims more quickly and easily online and to participate in mass proceedings via the internet.

According to the new law:

• Claims with a value of up to €5,000 can be filed entirely online — without any paper forms.
• A dedicated mass claim platform will be available where people affected by similar infringements can join forces and enforce their rights collectively.
• Hearings will be held via video conference, significantly saving time and resources for all parties involved.

Germany has long aimed to make its justice system more modern and accessible to citizens. The new law meets the demands of the digital age:

• It speeds up court proceedings.
• It simplifies participation for citizens and lawyers.
• It increases transparency in mass claims, for example against large companies.

In addition, the project will be tested as a “real-world laboratory” until 2034. This means the system will be flexibly adapted and further developed based on user feedback.

Who will benefit from these changes?

1. Consumers, who will be able to receive compensation in mass claims more quickly (e.g. in consumer protection or unlawful data processing cases).
2. Law firms, which will gain new tools to handle large numbers of clients more efficiently.
3. Courts, which will reduce their workload and speed up similar proceedings.

The Ministry of Justice plans to gradually roll out the system by the end of 2025. If successful, Germany has a strong chance of becoming an EU leader in digital justice.