Provisions concerning the right of petition contained
in the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany

Article 17

Everyone shall have the right individually or jointly with others to address written requests or complaints to the competent agencies and to parliaments.

Article 17 a

(1) Laws on military service and substitute service may, by provisions applying to members of the Armed Forces and of the substitute services during their period of military or substitute service, restrict the basic right freely to express and to disseminate opinions in speech, writing and pictures (first half-sentence of paragraph (1) of Article 5), the basic right of assembly (Article 8), and the right of petition (Article 17) insofar as this right permits the submission of requests or complaints jointly with others.

Article 45c

(1) The Bundestag shall appoint a Petitions Committee to deal with requests and complaints addressed to the Bundestag pursuant to Article 17.

(2) The powers of the Committee to consider complaints shall be regulated by a federal law.