Hessian Supreme Court to Review AfD's Challenge of Corona Inquiry Committee
Debate ongoing among Constitutional Court regarding AfD's grievance at inquiry panel - Court Holds Hearing for AfD's Complaint with U-Committee
Get ready for some legal fireworks! The Supreme Court of Justice in Wiesbaden will hear the Alternative for Germany (AfD)'s constitutional complaint about the Corona inquiry committee tomorrow (June 11th). The court has set aside several hours for this hearing, with a verdict likely to come several weeks or months down the line (Case No. P. St. 2974).
The Wiesbaden state parliament established its inquiry committee to delve into the Corona policies last year, at the request of the AfD opposition. However, it's yet to begin the meaty part of the investigation.
From 43 questions to 7 key topics
The parliament requested several legal opinions on the AfD's proposal due to constitutional concerns. After studying these opinions, the CDU, SPD, Greens, and FDP whittled the inquiry down to only seven critical points, which they deemed in line with the state constitution.
The AfD party lodged a constitutional complaint in late 2024, appealing for comprehensive clarification of the state's earlier Corona policies and alterations to the inquiry committee's composition.
Documents galore and expert testimony
Initially, the AfD sought to scrutinize topics like lockdowns, vaccinations, and mask mandates. However, other factions objected to this broad scope, arguing that it would entail involving federal authorities, which the Hessian state parliament has no jurisdiction over.
In April 2025, the Corona inquiry committee decided to request thousands of pages of documents from various state ministries. Moreover, it agreed to summon more than a dozen experts, including prominent virologists and researchers from research institutes.
- AfD
- Coronavirus
- Inquiry Committee
- Supreme Court of Justice
- Justice
- Wiesbaden
- Hessen
- Wiesbaden State Parliament
Did you know? When the inquiry was first proposed, it generated heated debates concerning the AfD's role in public media and its classification by the Verfassungsschutz (Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution), which monitors extremist organizations.
- In the midst of heated debates, the Wiesbaden State Parliament, despite concerns about policy-and-legislation and politics, established an Inquiry Committee to delve into the Coronavirus policies last year, at the request of the AfD opposition.
- The AfD's constitutional complaint about the Corona inquiry committee, lodged late in 2024, seeks comprehensive vocational training in understanding the state's earlier Coronavirus policies and invokes changes to the committee's composition, setting the stage for a significant review by the Supreme Court of Justice in Wiesbaden, Hessen.
