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Germany leaders agree to set aside Nazi-era treason verdicts

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The political parties that make up Germany's coalition government agreed Wednesday on a proposal to set aside all Nazi-era treason verdicts. The Socialist Democrats (SPD) and the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) of Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed to draft a law bypassing the current system, in which treason convictions must be considered on an individual basis, and exonerate all persons convicted of the broadly classified Nazi offense. SPD parliamentary leader Volker Kauder said that the measure is likely to succeed in parliament before September elections. CDU members had originally opposed the proposal, on the grounds that the alleged acts of treason may have been committed third parties, rather than the Nazi government. Germany has taken other legislative measures to combat Nazi-era offenses. In November, German lawmakers passed a law intended to counter anti-Semitism just before the 70th anniversary of Kristalnacht, when Nazi troops destroyed thousands of Jewish businesses and synagogues.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on July 02, 2009 (boomark / email).