German lawmakers back reform to shield top court from political influence

Germany's lower house of parliament approved legislation on Thursday to safeguard the top court from political interference, a response to concerns about possible attempts by far-right parties to weaken the body.

The legislation, rushed through the Bundestag lower house before a February snap election following the collapse of Chancellor Olaf Scholz's government, comes after Hungary and Poland passed judicial reforms that alarmed their EU partners.

The law enshrines the structure of the Constitutional Court, widely seen as a bastion of democracy in post-war Germany, in the Basic Law, including the size of the 16-judge court, the judges' 12-year term and mandatory retirement age of 68.

Any future changes will require a two thirds majority in both houses of parliament rather than a simple majority.

The package also creates a mechanism to elect judges to the court if there is an impasse in parliament, which is responsible for their appointment.

The legislation was backed by the Social Democrats (SPD), Greens, Free Democrats (FDP) and conservative CDU/CSU. The far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), second in most opinion polls, has opposed the plans.