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The Role Of Expert Witnesses In German And U.S. Civil Litigation, Sven Timmerbeil

Annual Survey of International & Comparative Law

The U.S. and German civil trial systems differ not only in many details but also regarding their fundamentals. The U.S. civil trial system seems to be basically a battle of the parties in which the lawyers are protagonists and warlords. The judge has most often only a passive role. In contrast, in German civil litigation, the judge generally has a very active role. The judge controls the proceedings, examines the witnesses and is always the decision maker. Other differences include the lack of pre-trial discovery in Germany and the important role of court experts in German civil litigation. Due to …