Extract from the

Constitution of Rhineland-Palatinate

of 18 May 1947

Article 11

Any person may address petitions to the public authorities or the Parliament.

Article 90

The State Parliament may forward petitions addressed to the State Parliament to the State government and request information about forwarded petitions and complaints.

Article 90 a

The State Parliament shall establish a Petitions Committee with the competence to decide the petitions addressed to the State Parliament pursuant to Article 11. The State Parliament may abrogate the decisions reached by the Petitions Committee.

The State government, all State authorities, the bodies, institutions and foundations established under public law, are, insofar as they are under State jurisdiction, obliged to permit the Petitions Committee to gain access to the public institutions under their management, obtain all necessary information and examine the files and records requested by them. Legal entities established under private law, non-incorporated associations and natural persons have the same obligations insofar as they perform public activities under State jurisdiction.

The entities referred to above may deny access to public institutions or records, or withhold information only if there are compelling grounds therefor or if it is to be feared that great harm or considerable, irreparable damage could be done to the Federation or an individual State or a third party. The responsible Minister shall decide if the entities referred to above may or may not deny access to public institutions or records or withhold information in the matter concerned; he or she shall defend his decision before the State Parliament.

Details are regulated by the parliamentary procedure of the State Parliament.