Frank Spaeing

Amendment of § 203 StGB

Extension of potential offenders in respect of external service providers

The first reading in the Bundestag (https://www.bvdnet.de/termin/bvd-verbandstag-2017/) took place on 27.04.2017 from 23:46 to 23:47, under Claudia Roth. The reading was just under 1 minute and is available online at (https://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2017/kw17-de-schutz-geheimnisse/501776#tab-501776).

Ms. von Bothmer (responsible for the legislative initiative at the BMJV [Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection]), explained at the BvD-Verbandstag 2017 [Association Day 2017], that legislation should also take into account the amendment of § 53a StPO [Code of Criminal Procedure] (updated version available under legislative procedures on the Professional Qualifications Directive available online at http://dipbt.bundestag.de/extrakt/ba/WP18/762/76268.html), by including not only a duty to secrecy but also the associated immunity of witness.

The hearing on the amendment of § 203 StGB will take place at 16:30 on Monday (15.05.2017). The list of experts is available on the Bundestag website (https://www.bundestag.de/ausschuesse18/a06/anhoerungen/berufsausuebung-schweigepflichtiger-personen/505922). The comments all welcome the legislative procedure and emphasise that the procedure should be concluded in the current legislative period.

Because the statement by the Federal Council on 31.03.2017 (Printed matter 163/17, http://dipbt.bundestag.de/dip21/brd/2017/0163-17B.pdf) resulted in only minor amendments (Printed paper 18/11936, http://dip21.bundestag.de/dip21/btd/18/119/1811936.pdf), the statutory amendment of § 203 StGB (and hopefully also § 53a StPO) is likely to be promulgated in this legislative period.

Author: Bernd Schütze

BvD-Blog