local court (Germany)
Also known as Local district court, Amtsgericht, District court
thumb|The Amtsgericht in Zehdenick An Amtsgericht (Local Court) in Germany is an official court. These courts form the lowest level of the 'ordinary jurisdiction' of the German judiciary (German Ordentliche Gerichtsbarkeit), which is responsible for most criminal and civil judicial matters. The German Amtsgericht may be compared to the magistrates' courts in England and Wales, although it has much broader sentencing powers. Its name derives from the Amt as a denomination for an administrative and court district in many of the territories of the Holy Roman Empire.
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thumb|The Amtsgericht in Zehdenick An Amtsgericht (Local Court) in Germany is an official court. These courts form the lowest level of the 'ordinary jurisdiction' of the German judiciary (German Ordentliche Gerichtsbarkeit), which is responsible for most criminal and civil judicial matters. The German Amtsgericht may be compared to the magistrates' courts in England and Wales, although it has much broader sentencing powers. Its name derives from the Amt as a denomination for an administrative and court district in many of the territories of the Holy Roman Empire.
The main areas of an ''Amtsgericht's'' jurisdiction are: court of first instance for civil case where the subject of litigation is worth €5,000 or less, and for litigation involving rental agreements, marriages, alimony and child custody. court of first instance for criminal cases where no more than four years imprisonment is expected. Several exceptions exist, such as all homicide. administration of several public registers such as the companies', the associations', the cooperatives' and the land ownership register.