Parliamentary Council

“ Whoever by force or the threat of force changes the constitutional order of the Federation or of a Land, deprives the Federal President of the powers accorded to him by this Basic Law or who by force or the threat of danger compels him to exercise his powers in a specific manner or not at all, or prevents the exercise of his powers, or deprives the Federation or a Land of a territory belonging to them shall be condemned to penal servitude for life or not less than 10 years. ”

“ Insofar as the action is directed exclusively against the constitutional order of a Land, the highest court of the Land shall, in the absence of any other regulation in Land law , be competent to pass judgment. ”

“ Expropriation shall be admissible only for the wellbeing of the general public. It may be effected only by legislation or on the basis of a law which shall regulate the nature and extent of compensation. ”

“ In addition, independent central federal authorities and new public law corporations and institutions directly supervised by the Federation may be established by federal legislation for matters on which the Federation has the power to legislate. Should the Federation acquire new functions in matters for which it has legislative competence, federal authorities at middle and lower levels may in case of urgent need be established with the approval of the Bundesrat and of the majority of the Bundestag. ”

“ Everyone shall have the right freely to express and to disseminate his opinion through speech, writing and illustration and, without hindrance, to instruct himself from generally accessible sources. Freedom of the press and freedom of reporting by radio and motion pictures shall be guaranteed. ”

“ If a court considers unconstitutional a law the validity of which is pertinent to its decision , proceedings must be stayed and, if a violation of a Land Constitution is involved, the decision of the Land court competent for constitutional disputes shall be obtained and, if a violation of this Basic Law is involved , the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court shall be obtained. ”

“ Law regarding the public service shall be regulated with due regard to the established principles concerning the legal status of professional officials (Berufsbeamtentum) .
Article 34
If any person, in exercising the duties of a public office entrusted to him, violates his official obligation towards a third party, liability shall in principle rest with the state or his employing authority. In the case of wilful intent or gross negligence, the right of recourse shall be reserved. ”

“ The Federal Constitutional Court shall consist of federal judges and other members. The members of the Federal Constitutional Court shall be elected half by the Bundestag and half by the Bundesrat. They may not belong to the Bundestag, the Bundesrat, the Federal Government or corresponding bodies of a Land.
(2) A federal law shall regulate its legal constitution and procedure and determine in which cases its decisions shall have the force of law. ”

“ Judges who are principally, regularly and definitely employed as such may, against their will, be dismissed before the expiry of their term of office, or permanently or temporarily suspended from office or transferred to another office or be placed on the retired list only through the decision of a court and only on the grounds and in the forms prescribed by legislation. Legislation may set an age limit at which judges who have been appointed for life shall retire. ”

“ All Germans shall have the right freely to choose their occupation, place of work and place of training. The practice of an occupation may be regulated by legislation.
(2) No one may be compelled to perform a particular kind of work except within the framework of an established general compulsory public service equally applicable to everybody. ”

“ The federal territory shall be reorganized by a federal law with due regard to regional unity, historical and cultural connections, economic expediency and social structure. The reorganization shall create Laender which by their size and potentiality are able to fulfil efficiently the functions incumbent upon them.
(2) In areas which, in the reorganization of Laender after 8 May 1945, joined another Land without plebiscite, a certain change in the decision made concerning this subject may be demanded by popular initiative within one year after the coming into force of the Basic Law. ”

“ Religious instruction shall, without prejudice to the state's right of supervision, be given according to the principles of the religious societies. No teacher may be obliged against his will to give religious instruction. ”

“ No one may be deprived of his German citizenship. The loss of citizenship may occur only on the basis of a law and, against the will of the person concerned, only if the person concerned is not rendered stateless thereby. ”

“ THE FEDERATION AND THE LAENDER
Article 20
(1) The Federal Republic of Germany is a democratic and social federal state.
(2) All state authority emanates from the people. It shall be exercised by the people in elections and plebiscites and by means of separate legislative, executive and judicial organs.
(3) Legislation shall be limited by the constitution, the executive and the administration of justice by legislation and the law.
Article 21
(1) The parties shall participate in forming the political will of the people. They can be freely formed. ”

“ Treaties which regulate the political relations of the Federation or refer to matters of federal legislation shall require, in the form of a federal law,the approval or the participation of the corporations competent the time for federal legislation. For administrative agreements the provisions concerning the federal administration shall apply appropriately. ”

“ The Federation shall bear the expenses for occupation costs and, in accordance with more detailed provisions by a federal law, the other internal and external war-induced burdens, and the grants towards the burdens of social insurance, including unemployment insurance and public assistance for the unemployed. ”

“ The state treaties concluded by the German Reich concerning matters for which, according to this Basic Law, Land legislation is competent, shall remain in force if they are valid and continue to be valid according to general basic principles of law, while reserving all the rights and objections of those concerned, until new state treaties shall have been concluded by the authorities made competent to do so by this Basic Law or until they are otherwise terminated on the grounds of the provisions they contain. ”

“ No one may be prevented from assuming or exercising the office of a deputy. Notice of dismissal or dismissal for this reason reason shall be inadmissible.
(3) Deputies shall have a claim to adequate remuneration, which shall ensure their independence. They shall have the right to free travel in all publicly owned transport. Details shall be regulated by a federal law.
Article 49
Articles 46, 47 and 48, paragraphs (2) and (3) shall apply to the members of the Praesidium and the Standing Committee as well as to their chief deputies also in the interval between two electoral periods. ”

“ A deputy may at no time be subject to legal or disciplinary action or otherwise be called to account outside the Bundestag be cause of his vote or any utterance in the Bundestag or in one of its committees. ”

“ Should the popular initiative take place, the Federal Government must, in the draft law regarding the reorganization, include a provision determining to which Land the area concerned shall belong.
(3) After adoption of the law, in each area which it is intended should join another Land, that part of the law which concerns this area must be submitted to a referendum. If a popular initiative takes place in accordance with paragraph (2) , a referendum must always be carried out in the area concerned. ”

“ Any person temporarily detained on suspicion of having committed a punishable act must, at the latest on the day following the arrest, be brought before a judge who shall inform him of the reason of the arrest, interrogate him and give him an opportunity to raise objections. ”

“ If, between 8 May 1945 and the coming into force of this Basic Law, a territory has changed from one Land to another, in this territory the property of the Land to which the territory belonged shall be transferred to the Land to which the territory now belongs. ”

“ The time limit for a veto shall begin in the case of paragraph (2) , last sentence, with the receipt of the bill as re adopted by the Bundestag, in all other cases with the conclusion of the procedure preceding the committee provided for in paragraph (2) . ”