Two legal systems, one goal: Justice

Courtesy Photo | photo by Andre Potzler  

NUREMBERG, GERMANY

10.25.2019

Courtesy Story

7th Army Training Command

NUREMBERG, Germany (Oct. 19, 2019) -- World history was written in the courtroom of the Nuremberg Palace of Justice. This was where leaders of the Nazi regime had to answer for their crimes before an International Military Tribunal between Nov. 20, 1945 and Oct. 1, 1946.

The trials had an enormous influence on the development of international criminal law, and courtroom 600 remains a working courtroom to this day.

Seventy-three years later, it was German attorneys-in-training from Erlangen-Nuremberg and American attorneys from the 7th Army Training Command legal office based in Grafenwoehr, Germany, who assured justice was served.

Approximately 700 visitors occupied the courtrooms seats to watch two mock trials, which aimed to show the differences and similarities between the German and the U.S. military legal systems, Oct. 19.

Professor Dr. Christoph Safferling, professor for criminal and international criminal law, Judge Friedrich Weitner, spokesperson for the Higher Regional Court, and Bradley J. Huestis, senior civilian attorney for 7ATC, lead the programs and answered numerous questions from the audience.

"It is a good opportunity to show to the general public what exactly we are doing here," said Weitner, from the Nuremberg Palace of Justice. “I think it is also interesting to see that there are different legal systems and that there is also an American legal system here in Germany, which is something a lot of people don't know about.

“For me, personally, it is the exchange that is important.”

This German-American cooperation was part of the Long Night of Science, which is one of the largest scientific and cultural events in the Nuremberg metropolitan region, and the largest Long Night of its kind in Germany. More than 25,000 people visited about 350 scientific institutions in the Nuremberg, Fuerth and Erlangen region, and experienced guided tours, lectures, experiments and other educational events. Every two years, institutions open their doors offering exclusive insights into the work that usually takes place behind closed doors.

"We all have one common goal - justice," said Lt. Col. John J. Merriam., the Staff Judge Advocate for 7ATC during his closing remarks. “It is very special to be in this courtroom for a lawyer, especially if you are a Soldier-lawyer, because of what happened 75 years ago.

“For us, this is sacred ground,” he said. “We are very honored to be able to be part of this event and that you (the audience) were here showing interest in what we do.”

The mock trials, which brought together U.S. Army personnel and host-nation citizens, are the result of a longstanding exchange program between the 7ATC legal office, the Nuremberg Judiciary and the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg.

Story by André Potzler, 7th Army Training Command.

• Date Taken: 10.25.2019
• Date Posted: 10.25.2019 09:00
• Story ID: 349196
• Location: NUREMBERG, DE