Judge Günther Ascends to Presidency of OVG Role Evolution
New President Appointed for Higher Administrative Court in North Rhine-Westphalia
After a four-year long struggle and a series of procedural errors, Carsten Günther has been appointed as the new President of the Higher Administrative Court for North Rhine-Westphalia in Münster.
Günther, a seasoned jurist, began his career as a judge in 2000 at the Administrative Court in Cologne. From 2009 to 2013, he served as a judge at the OVG Münster before being seconded to the Federal Ministry of Justice, the NRW State Chancellery, and the NRW Ministry of Justice from 2007 to 2010. In 2015, he was appointed to the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig, where he served as the presiding judge at the Administrative Court in Düsseldorf.
The initial decision to appoint a new President for the Higher Administrative Court in Münster was withdrawn due to the discovery of procedural errors. A late entrant, a department head from the NRW Ministry of the Interior, had initially won the race in June 2023. However, with the withdrawal of the initial winner, the way was clear for Günther's appointment.
The appointment was announced in July 2023, and Günther was presented with his appointment certificate by Minister of Justice Benjamin Limbach (Greens) in Düsseldorf. Günther is now set to lead the OVG Münster, succeeding Ricarda Brandts, who retired in May 2021.
Administrative courts, including the OVG itself and the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, were involved in the dispute. A parliamentary inquiry committee in the state parliament is currently investigating the appointment affair.
Günther is looking forward to working with the seven North Rhine-Westphalian administrative courts. Despite the challenges that led to his appointment, he is ready to take on the responsibilities that come with leading the Higher Administrative Court in Münster.
The process of appointing a new President for the Higher Administrative Court in Münster was marked by procedural errors and political maneuvering, as demonstrated by the initial decision's withdrawal and the subsequent elevation of Carsten Günther to the role. This appointment, which occurred in July 2023, has sparked interest in policy-and-legislation and general-news circles, given the ongoing parliamentary inquiry into the affair.
