der
Justizminister
🏛️ What exactly is a Justizminister?
Der Justizminister is a high-ranking member of a government (at the federal or state level in Germany) who is responsible for the justice system. He (or she, in the case of die Justizministerin) heads the Ministry of Justice (Justizministerium) and deals with legislative proposals in the field of law, the organization of courts and public prosecutors' offices, and the penal system.
It is an official title for a male person. The female form is die Justizministerin.
Examples of areas of responsibility:
- Legislation (e.g., in criminal law, civil law - Strafrecht, Zivilrecht)
- Administration of judicial authorities (Justizbehörden)
- Right of pardon (Gnadenrecht)
- International legal assistance (Internationale Rechtshilfe)
Article rules for der, die, and das
Male characters → always masculine.
Caution: Most professions also have their feminine forms (e.g. die Polizistin). Some words can also have two forms: der/die Deutsche, der/die Kranke.
-er → mostly masculine.
1. Caution: many exceptions. 2. almost all -euer nouns are neutral. 3. There are many -er words, we don't list them all.
🧐 Grammar Spotlight: Der Justizminister
The word "Justizminister" is a masculine noun. It follows the so-called weak declension (schwache Deklination or n-Deklination), which means it takes an -(e)n ending in all cases except the nominative singular.
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | der | Justizminister |
| Genitive | des | Justizministern |
| Dative | dem | Justizministern |
| Accusative | den | Justizministern |
| Case | Article | Noun |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | die | Justizminister |
| Genitive | der | Justizminister |
| Dative | den | Justizministern |
| Accusative | die | Justizminister |
📝 Example Sentences
- Der neue Justizminister stellte seine Pläne zur Reform des Strafrechts vor.
(The new Minister of Justice presented his plans to reform criminal law.) - Die Pressekonferenz des Justizministers wurde live übertragen.
(The press conference of the Minister of Justice was broadcast live.) - Man überreichte dem Justizminister eine Petition zur Änderung des Gesetzes.
(A petition to change the law was handed over to the Minister of Justice.) - Die Opposition kritisierte den amtierenden Justizminister scharf.
(The opposition sharply criticized the incumbent Minister of Justice.) - Mehrere ehemalige Justizminister äußerten sich zur aktuellen Debatte.
(Several former Ministers of Justice commented on the current debate.)
🗣️ How to use "Justizminister"?
The term "Justizminister" is primarily used in political and legal contexts (politischer und rechtlicher Kontext). It refers to a specific ministerial position within a government.
- Context: Government (Regierung), politics (Politik), legal system (Rechtssystem), legislation (Gesetzgebung), news reporting on politics.
- Formality: It is a formal official title. When addressing the person directly, one would more likely say "Herr Minister" (Mr. Minister) or "Frau Ministerin" (Ms. Minister).
- Differentiation: A Justizminister is clearly distinguished from other ministers (e.g., Innenminister - Minister of the Interior, Finanzminister - Minister of Finance) by their portfolio (Ressort), which is justice (Justiz). They also differ from judges (Richter) or public prosecutors (Staatsanwälte) due to their political leadership role.
- Federal vs. State Level: In Germany, there is the Bundesjustizminister (at the federal level) and Landesjustizminister (in the individual federal states, Bundesländer). Often, the context (e.g., "der bayerische Justizminister" - the Bavarian Minister of Justice) is needed to specify this.
💡 Mnemonics and Memory Aids
Remembering the Article: Most masculine job titles and official roles in German, especially those ending in "-er", are masculine: der Lehrer (teacher), der Bäcker (baker), der Minister – and therefore also der Justizminister. Think of 'er' at the end like 'he' -> 'der'.
Remembering the Meaning: Imagine a person carrying a large stack of law books (representing Justiz - justice/law) while holding an important leadership position (Minister). They ensure law and order – the Justizminister.
🔄 Similar and Contrasting Terms
Synonyms (Similar Meaning):
Antonyms/Distinctions (Opposites or Different Roles):
- Innenminister (Minister of the Interior - different portfolio)
- Generalstaatsanwalt (Attorney General/Chief Public Prosecutor - highest prosecutor, but not a politician of ministerial rank)
- Richter (Judge - independent judiciary, not political executive)
- Oppositionspolitiker (Opposition politician)
- Justizministerin (Female Minister of Justice)
⚠️ Caution: Do not confuse with Justiziar (a legal advisor in companies or authorities) or Justizbeamter (a general term for officials in the judicial service).
😂 A Little Joke
German: Fragt ein Richter den Angeklagten: "Warum haben Sie die Parkuhr aufgebrochen?"
Antwortet der Angeklagte: "Herr Richter, Ihr Kollege, der Justizminister, sagt doch immer, wir Bürger sollen uns mehr engagieren und selbst die Initiative ergreifen!"
English Translation: A judge asks the defendant: "Why did you break open the parking meter?"
The defendant replies: "Your Honor, your colleague, the Minister of Justice, always says that we citizens should get more involved and take the initiative ourselves!"
📜 A Poem about the Justizminister
German:
Im Amt, wo Recht und Ordnung zählt,
Der Justizminister die Weichen stellt.
Gesetze prüft er, Tag für Tag,
Was Fairness schafft, was man nicht mag.
Er leitet das Ressort mit ernster Hand,
Für Sicherheit im ganzen Land.
Zwischen Paragrafen, klar und schlicht,
Sucht er für alle das gerechte Licht.
English Translation:
In office, where law and order count,
The Minister of Justice sets the course profound.
He checks the laws, day by day,
What creates fairness, what leads astray.
He leads the department with a serious hand,
For security throughout the land.
Between paragraphs, clear and plain,
He seeks for all the righteous gain.
🕵️ Who am I? A Riddle
German:
Ich steh' an der Spitze eines Ministeriums,
doch mein Fokus ist nicht das Finanzimperium.
Ich kümmere mich um Recht und Gesetz,
und sorge dafür, dass man es nicht verletzt.
Gerichte und Strafvollzug gehören zu mir,
in der Regierung bin ich ein hohes Tier.
Mein Titel ist männlich, das ist sonnenklar.
Wer bin ich? ... Der Justizminister
English Translation:
I stand at the head of a ministry,
but my focus isn't the financial treasury.
I take care of justice and the law,
and ensure that no one finds a flaw.
Courts and prisons belong to me,
in the government, I'm a big VIP.
My title is masculine, that much is clear.
Who am I? ... The Minister of Justice (der Justizminister)
🧩 Other Interesting Details
Word Composition (Wortzusammensetzung):
The word "Justizminister" is a compound noun, composed of:
- Justiz: Derived from the Latin iustitia (justice). Refers to the legal system, administration of justice, and the entirety of courts and judicial authorities.
- Minister: Derived from the Latin minister (servant, assistant). Today denotes a high-ranking government member who heads a specific department (ministry/portfolio - Ministerium/Ressort).
Federal vs. State Level (Bundes- vs. Landesebene):
In Germany, there are Ministers of Justice at both the federal level (Bundesebene - Federal Republic of Germany) and in the individual federal states (Bundesländer). The official title at the federal level is "Bundesminister der Justiz" (Federal Minister of Justice).
Feminine Form (Weibliche Form):
The corresponding term for a woman holding this office is "die Justizministerin".
📝 Summary: is it der, die or das Justizminister?
The word "Justizminister" is a masculine job title and therefore takes the article der. It follows the weak declension (Genitive, Dative, Accusative Singular: des/dem/den Justizministern). The female form is "die Justizministerin".