# German CDU proposals for criminal law reform

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/german-cdu-proposals-for-criminal-law-reform
> Updated: 2026-08-20T04:30:04.000Z. Sources: 3. Developments: 2.

Members of the CDU in Germany are advocating for legal reforms to tighten criminal sentencing for young people. Initially, Bundestag member Dr. Silke Launert called for the repeal of § 105 Abs. 1 of the Youth Court Act (JGG). She argued that because individuals aged 18 to 21 possess full civil rights, they should be subject to adult criminal law for serious offenses, rather than juvenile law.

Following this, the Hamburg CDU opposition, led by Dennis Thering, proposed a broader package of measures. This includes lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 12 years for serious and most serious offenses. Thering also echoed calls to make adult criminal law the standard for serious crimes and repeat offenders among 18-to-21-year-olds, citing police statistics regarding youth crime in Hamburg.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-20: CDU Hamburg proposes lowering age of criminal responsibility

The Hamburg CDU is proposing to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 14 to 12 and mandate adult criminal law for young adults aged 18–21 involved in serious offenses.

3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/cdu-hamburg-proposes-lowering-age-of-criminal-responsibility

### 2026-08-07: German MP Silke Launert Calls for End of Youth Criminal Law for Adults

German MP Silke Launert (CDU) seeks to repeal § 105 of the Youth Court Act, arguing that adults 18‑21 should face adult criminal law, citing the 2025 CDU/CSU platform and concerns over current over‑use of youth

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/german-mp-silke-launert-calls-for-end-of-youth-criminal-law-for-adults

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Cite as: German CDU proposals for criminal law reform. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/german-cdu-proposals-for-criminal-law-reform