by-law
noun · Satzung
In administrative law a by-law is a Satzung, autonomous law made by a self-governing public body, for municipalities on the basis of the self-government guarantee of Art. 28 Abs. 2 GG. Unlike a Rechtsverordnung it needs no specific statutory authorisation, because the power to make it flows from the body’s own autonomy.
Which translation, when
Why
In an administrative-law source a by-law is a Satzung. A Satzung is objective law made by the organs of a self-governing public body for its own field of tasks, the hallmark of autonomous rule-making. For municipalities the basis is the guarantee of local self-government in Art. 28 Abs. 2 GG, which secures the right to regulate all affairs of the local community, within the framework of the statutes, on their own responsibility; chambers, universities and social-insurance bodies have a like, derived power. The translation point is the place of the Satzung in the order of norms. Unlike a Rechtsverordnung, which is delegated legislation and needs a specific statutory authorisation under Art. 80 GG, a Satzung needs no such particular empowerment, because the power to make it comes from the body’s own autonomy; unlike a parliamentary Gesetz, it is subordinate law, reviewed through the Normenkontrolle of § 47 VwGO rather than by constitutional complaint. Rendering a by-law as a Verordnung suggests a delegation that a Satzung does not need, and rendering it as a Gesetz lifts it up the hierarchy. One further warning: the same German word Satzung is used for the constitution of a company or association, so in a public-law text it must be read as the by-law of a self-governing body. So the word marks a distinct source and rank of law, not merely a local rule.
Typical mistakes
- A Satzung rests on the body’s own autonomy and needs no specific statutory authorisation, unlike a Rechtsverordnung, so rendering a by-law as a Verordnung implies a delegation it does not require.
- A Satzung is subordinate law, not a parliamentary Gesetz, so rendering a by-law as a Gesetz misplaces it in the order of norms.
- The same word Satzung also names the constitution of a company or association, so it must be read from its context.
What matters
Rendering a rule made by a municipality or other self-governing body, the translation should use Satzung, note that it is autonomous law resting on Art. 28 Abs. 2 GG and needing no specific authorisation, and keep it apart from a delegated Rechtsverordnung and a parliamentary Gesetz. Context must show whether Satzung means a by-law or a company’s articles.
What the machine misses
Machine output may render by-law as a Verordnung or a Gesetz and lose the rank of the norm. It drops that a Satzung is autonomous law resting on Art. 28 Abs. 2 GG, that unlike a Rechtsverordnung it needs no specific authorisation under Art. 80 GG, and that unlike a Gesetz it is subordinate law tested by § 47 VwGO. The rendering misplaces the source and rank of the rule.
Examples
| a municipal by-law | eine kommunale Satzung |
| to enact a by-law | eine Satzung erlassen |
| the by-laws of the university | die Satzung der Universität |
| a development plan adopted as a by-law | ein als Satzung beschlossener Bebauungsplan |