1. By : Haily Trusty

2. Facts Population of 82 million, it Is located in Europe. Second biggest consumers of beer in the world Has the largest zoo in the world, Berlin Zoological Garden

3. Court System The legal system in Germany is based on the Civil Code and dependent courts are independent entities from the federal government. Judges are allowed to investigate the facts of the case themselves. Made of : 1.Ordinary Courts 2.Specialized Courts 3.Constitutional Courts

4. Ordinary Courts Usually rule in criminal and civil matters :  Marriage  Family disputes Organized in local courts, regional courts, higher regional courts, and the Federal Court of Justice

5. Specialized Courts Divided into local courts, social courts, administrative and financial courts. Labor courts will rule in matters derived from the private law in employment disputes.

6. Specialized Courts continued… Will trial cases that fall under the jurisdiction of the public administrative law. Social courts will rule cases dealing with social security matters. Financial courts deal with taxation matters.

7. Constitutional Courts German Federal Constitutional Court highest court in German judicial system.

8. Drug and Alcohol Use 1.8 million are alcoholics 1/5 German children have alcoholic or drug addict parents A report estimated 30% of males and 50% of the female prisoners in the country took drugs.

9. Firearms Very strict requirements regarding registration and possession of firearms and other weapons.

10. Divorce Under German marriage laws, a party cannot file for divorce until they’ve been apart for at least one year, or for three years if the divorce is contested.

11. Disrespect A criminal offense in Germany to show disrespect for the colors, flag, coat of arms, or national anthem. Insulting an individual can also be a criminal offense, particularly if the individual is an official acting under his legal authority.

12. Labor Laws All employees should have a written employment contract identifying major aspects of the employment relationship.

13. Drinking 16 years old for beer, wine, and other party drinks. 18 for spirits : ( hard liquor, liquor, etc. )

14. Weird Laws A “quiet time” is observed between noon to 3 pm when it is forbidden to wash cars, play music loud, or hammer nails. Forbidden to hand wash outside on Sunday Illegal to tune pianos at midnight. A pillow is classified as a “passive weapon” and hitting someone with it can lead to assault charges. Illegal to have the ashes of your loved one stored in a urn at home after cremation.

15. Sources www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/4 399866/ten-crazy-german-rules.htmlwww.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/4 399866/ten-crazy-german-rules.html www.deathpenalty.org www.thelocal.de www.lawyersgermany.com www.howtogermany.com www.foreignstaffing.com

16. This is to you, Destiny