In the wake of globalisation, more and more issues have a cross-border dimension. Practical examples of this include cross-border VAT carousels, customs violations, violations of foreign trade criminal law, cybercrime (internet fraud) and corruption abroad. In addition to German criminal law, foreign law may also play a role here. Just as every country has its own social order, it also has its own legal system with country-specific features in theory and practice, which legal practitioners should be aware of and make use of when dealing with foreign countries. In these cases, in addition to assessing whether German criminal law is applicable to such matters at all (Sections 3 ff StGB), comparative legal expertise and, if necessary, specialist knowledge of extradition and mutual assistance law, as well as good contacts with foreign legal experts, are required. Our law firm specialises in these issues and offers you expert and comprehensive advice, taking into account the particularities and peculiarities of foreign legal systems – in cooperation with foreign colleagues – in addition to a large network of international experts. This is the only way to find the best solution for you.
Following the implementation of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Germany introduced the principle of universal jurisdiction, thereby enabling the prosecution of so-called ‘core crimes’, i.e. the most serious crimes such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression, in Germany even in cases where there are few or no links to Germany. We have experts who deal with nationalised international criminal law (VStGB) as well as the law before international criminal courts and are active in this field both academically and practically.
