Digitization of Law in Germany─Status and Prospects   全文下載

德國法律數位化──現狀與展望

在德國，法律的數位化影響了民法、刑法和公法領域。民法允許使用電子格式，將電子商務契約納入考量，並規範線上市場，而刑事法對數位化作出回應，為將現有的刑法適用於新的犯罪情況，頒布以保護隱私、財產和資料完整性為目標之新刑法規範。公法方面，數位化已開始影響德國的立法程序（電子立法程序、法律的電子出版品、法律的「數位檢查」）。司法機構也開始數位化。除了引進電子檔案外，法院與人民的溝通也越來越趨向以數位化的方式進行（例如「特別電子律師信箱」）。最近一項法律草案旨在提供定期的線上法庭審理。德國的數位化國家行政管理（E化政務）聚焦於電子通訊。更為近期的發展，為試圖創建全盤的線上行政服務，最令人振奮的發展則涉及行政行為的完全自動化發布。在德國，稅務行政在這方面扮演先鋒角色。特別在是針對國家權限的不同功能此點上，區別使用電腦技術將是個重要的議題。

In Germany, the digitization of law affects civil law, criminal law, and public law. Civil law allows the use of electronic form, takes account of contracts in electronic commerce and regulates online marketplaces, among others. Criminal law is responding to digitization by the application of existing criminal law to new types of circumstances and by the enactment of new criminal law norms aiming at the protection of privacy, property, and the integrity of data. Looking at the separate state powers, digitization is beginning to affect the legislative process in Germany (e-legislative process, e-publication of laws, “digital check” for laws). The judiciary is also beginning to be digitized. Apart from the introduction of electronic files, the court communication with citizens is increasingly going digital (“special electronic lawyers’s mailbox”). A current draft law aims to provide for regular online court hearings. The digitized state administration in Germany (e-government) first focused on electronic communication. More recently, attempts have been made to create comprehensive online access to administrative services. The most exciting developments concern the fully automated issuance of administrative acts. In Germany, tax administration takes a pioneering role in this regard. It will be important to use computer technology in a differentiated manner, in particular with regard to the different functions of the separate state powers.