The numbers tell a stark story of decline. By mid-August 2026, prosecutors in Thuringia had filed just seven requests for expedited court proceedings — a new low in a system that was designed to deliver swift verdicts for straightforward cases with clear evidence.
The figures, released by the state’s justice ministry, mark the latest chapter in a steady retreat from the fast-track format. In 2020, the ministry logged 87 such procedures. That number has slipped almost every year since: 25 applications in 2024, 18 in 2025, and now the current tally of seven.
To put that in perspective, the ministry pointed to the broader caseload across the state’s criminal justice system. In 2025 alone, Thuringian authorities filed 9,445 indictments and submitted 12,477 requests for penal orders. The expedited procedure, once seen as a vital tool for clearing simple cases quickly, now occupies only a sliver of the daily judicial workload.
Why the Fast-Track Is Failing
The ministry attributes the collapse to structural pressures inside the courts and prosecution offices. Staffing shortages sit at the heart of the problem. The expedited model demands that a main hearing take place within a very tight window after the alleged offence or the suspect’s arrest, which requires a level of flexibility that stretched teams simply cannot offer.
Dense court schedules compound the issue. With calendars packed well in advance, prioritising an expedited case often proves impossible. The organisational effort needed to meet the statutory deadlines is frequently beyond reach given the prevailing workload. As a result, cases that could theoretically be resolved in days or weeks instead drift into the standard judicial pipeline, dragging out the overall time to resolution.
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A Targeted Push on Child Protection Cases
Despite the broader downward trend, the ministry is planning a focused intervention in one specific area. Justice Minister Meißner wants to introduce a dedicated acceleration requirement for cases involving violence against children.
The proposal aims to ensure that legal consequences follow swiftly after the offence in these sensitive matters. According to the ministry, the goal is twofold: shielding young victims from the strain of drawn-out proceedings and reinforcing the deterrent effect of criminal law. While general use of the expedited procedure remains hamstrung by personnel constraints, the ministry hopes that a clear priority on child welfare cases can still deliver faster justice where it matters most.
