What methods did the Nazis use to control the legal system?

The Nazis took over the legal system by controlling judges, courts and lawyers.

How did the Nazi regime control the judges in the legal system?

Judges were controlled in 3 main ways:

❖ Every judge had to be a member of the National Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law.
❖ All judges had to put the interests of the Nazis above the law and swore an oath of loyalty.
❖ Any judge that did not become a member of the National Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law or conform to their expectations, was sacked.

How did the Nazi regime control the courts in the legal system?

Courts were controlled 2 key ways:

❖ Trial by jury was ended so that judges alone decided whether someone was innocent or guilty and determined the punishment.
❖ The People's Court was set in 1934 to hear all cases that were 'crimes against the state'. Anyone opposing the Nazi government could not expect to have a fair trial.

How did the Nazi regime control the lawyers in the legal system?

All lawyers had to join the Nazi Lawyers' Association.

What happened to the death penalty in the Nazi legal system?

The number of crimes punishable by the death penalty rose from 3 to 46.