Oberlandesgericht

Interior of the Cologne OLG

The Oberlandesgericht (plural – Oberlandesgerichte; OLG, English: Higher Regional Court, or in Berlin Kammergericht: KG) is one of the 'ordinary courts' (ordentlichen Gerichtsbarkeit) in Germany. The Oberlandesgerichte were set up in Germany by the court constitution law of January 27, 1877.

In Prussia, there have been Oberlandesgerichte as the top provincial courts since 1808, known as "Regierung" from 1723 to 1808.

The court resides between the levels of regional court (Landgericht) and the Federal Court of Justice, in family and child law between district court (Amtsgericht) and the Federal Court of Justice. In criminal cases that are under primary jurisdiction of the Federal Court of Justice (i.e., cases concerning the national security), the Oberlandesgerichte act as a branch of the Federal Court of Justice, that is, as "lower federal courts" ("Untere Bundesgerichte").

The OLG has control over Zivilsenate and Strafsenate since § 116 GVG.

In the Oberlandesgerichte, the offices of the "Generalstaatsanwaltschaft" or general district attorney are located.^{[citation needed]}

The OLG Düsseldorf is one of the most popular patent trial forums for patentees in Europe.^[1]

References

1. ^ IPEG blog, New president Patent Division Düsseldorf Appeal Court, January 11, 2008.