Überlange Verfahrensdauer und Verhältnismäßigkeit

This paper explores how criminal proceedings that have gone on so long that their continuance would cause an undue burden on the accused should be handled.
The starting point of this paper is the so called “Vollstreckungslösung“ [enforcement solution] developed by the Federal Court of Justice, which requires a compensation in the event of an unlawful procedural delay. However, this leaves open the question how to handle procedures for which a final ruling cannot yet be reached. The thesis of this paper is that the principle of proportionality prohibits the continuation of proceedings prior to the conclusion of the taking of evidence, if it is foreseeable that the compensation required by the unlawful procedural delay will reach or exceed the predicted appropriate punishment of the accused.