The Judicial System in the Weimar Republic

            On July 1st, 2024, just over a week ago, the US Supreme Court decided in a 6-3 decision that Presidents have immunity for official acts. Since an “official act” doesn’t seem to be clearly defined, the check-and-balance on an American President’s power is unclear. So I started to read about the judicial system in Nazi Germany. I learned that antisemitism in Germany started out gradually with the first antisemitic law passed in 1933, and then rights were continually taken away, until by 1941, very few people who were Jewish remained in Germany, because they fled or were sent to concentration camps. I learned that there were official and unofficial methods in the justice system, particularly for people who were Jewish, dissidents, opponents, or other people who the government decided were undesirable. The Weimar Republic existed from 1918 to 1933, but I read that judges were mostly put in place before 1914, when Germany was a monarchy, and they were accused of dispensing “class justice.” I assume that this means that the laws and judiciary favored the wealthy and powerful. Unfortunately, some right-wing influences in the US judicial system also seem to favor the wealthy and powerful, particularly from the Heritage Foundation, after the allowing of unlimited money in elections, decreasing voting rights, decreasing women’s reproductive healthcare, and allowing Presidents to have immunity for official acts. Another lesson I learned was to oppose authoritarians by voting, protesting, speaking out, and donating to reputable organizations, before they gain more power, because opposing them with these ways after they are more powerful is more difficult than opposing them before.

While there are some similarities between the right-wing influences on the judiciary in America and the judiciary in the Weimar Republic in Germany, we can hope to oppose authoritarians before they gain more power by voting, protesting, speaking out, and donating to reputable organizations.