New rules for the appraisal of German civil servants

Germany has introduced new rules for appraisals of civil servants. These appraisals have a major impact on civil servants’ promotions and/or requests for transfers. A judgment handed down by the Stuttgart administrative court of appeal states that “specific grounds” must be given for any downgrade to a civil servant’s appraisal score. The judges considered that this obligation to give grounds for a lower appraisal score stems from the principle of legal protection, guaranteed by the Basic Law (Germany’s constitution).