Geschworenengericht#

Geschworenengericht (court of lay judges): decide on the question of guilt in major criminal and political cases carrying sentences of between 5 and more than 10 years. Cases are heard before the jury consisting of 8 lay persons and 3 professional judges. The jury return a verdict of guilt or innocence with an absolute majority and base their decision on main, contingent and supplementary questions posed by the court. If all 3 professional judges disagree with the lay persons´ decision on the question of guilt, the case can be brought before the Supreme Court of Justice and may then be transferred to another criminal court where the question of guilt is decided. The lay judges and professional judges jointly determine the penalty.