If you have been discriminated against and are considering legal action against it, please note the following:

Mediation

Depending on the federal state where you will file a claim and the law sector that is relevant, you have to go through a mediation before you can file a lawsuit. Here you can find further details concerning the mediation.

Evidence

To allow for a lawsuit to be carried out successfully, you must keep all material that can document an instance of discriminatory treatment. Letters, e-mails, photos, comments, recordings of communications, memos etc. can possibly be relevant in court.

Two-month limit

The AGG specifies that a discrimination lawsuit must be filed no later than two months after the incident occurs. BUG is of the opinion that this limit is too short; however, as long as it remains in place, you will have to decide as quickly as possible whether you would like to bring an action in court. We encourage you to contact BUG in a timely manner, as it can take up to two weeks for us to decide whether or not we can support your case.

Advice

In any case - even if you are still unsure whether you want to complain - we recommend that you contact an anti-discrimination counselling office as soon as possible. They will advise you on future steps to be taken.

NGO assistance in legal proceedings

BUG meets the formal requirements to provide assistance in legal proceedings on the basis of § 23 of the AGG. In addition, BUG is a recognized association which may assist and file cases under § 13 section 3 of the Act on Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities.

In Berlin, BUG is recognized as an anti-discrimination organisation entitled to take legal action within the scope of section 10 (1) sentence 2 of the State Anti-Discrimination Act (LADG).