Singer Julia Neigel Accuses Judges of Misconduct in 2G Lawsuit

Singer Julia Neigel Challenges Saxony’s COVID-19 Regulations: Allegations of Judicial Bias and Perversion of Justice

The legal battle over Germany’s pandemic-era restrictions continues as singer Julia Neigel intensifies her fight against the “2G” rules implemented in Saxony. What began as a challenge to cultural restrictions has evolved into a high-stakes criminal investigation involving allegations of judicial misconduct and the potential perversion of justice within the sächsischen Oberverwaltungsgericht (OVG) in Bautzen.

The Legal Conflict: 2G and Cultural Restrictions

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Saxony implemented “2G” regulations—meaning access to certain venues was restricted to those who were either geimpft (vaccinated) or genesen (recovered). Julia Neigel, a singer known since 1988 for her hit “Schatten an der Wand,” challenged these rules, arguing that the restrictions on cultural institutions were unlawful and caused her severe financial hardship.

Neigel’s legal journey has been fraught with setbacks. In 2024, the OVG Bautzen dismissed a partial claim regarding “2G-Plus” restrictions (Case No. 3 C 90/21), a decision later upheld by the Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig. While Neigel has filed a constitutional complaint (Verfassungsbeschwerde) that remains pending, her current focus is a “Nichtzulassungsbeschwerde”—a specific legal challenge against the court’s refusal to allow a revision of the February judgment.

Allegations of a “Predetermined” Verdict

The conflict shifted from administrative law to criminal law in mid-April when Neigel filed charges against 12 people, including members of the OVG Bautzen and the Saxon state government. The core of her accusation centers on a 27-page “judgment draft” discovered in the case files.

According to Neigel, this document is dated April 11, 2023—three months before the first oral hearing took place. She asserts that more than 60% of this draft appears verbatim in the final judgment delivered in February. Neigel claims this proves the outcome—the dismissal of her lawsuit—was decided before she ever had the opportunity to present her arguments in court.

The Court’s Defense and Criminal Investigations

The OVG Bautzen has acknowledged the existence of the document but disputes the implication of bias. OVG spokesperson Matthias Grünberg stated that the paper was an “internal working paper” created by the rapporteur and was sent to Neigel “accidentally” during a review of the files.

The court maintains that it is standard practice to sketch out potential arguments and results during preliminary deliberations, noting that it is common for portions of such working papers to be integrated into the final judgment.

Despite the court’s explanation, the Public Prosecutor’s Office (Staatsanwaltschaft) in Görlitz is treating the matter seriously. A spokesperson for the office confirmed that there is currently an “initial suspicion of perversion of justice” (Anfangsverdacht wegen Rechtsbeugung) against 10 identified individuals, and investigations are ongoing.

The Human Cost of Pandemic Restrictions

For Julia Neigel, this is more than a theoretical legal battle. The singer, who currently resides in Ludwigshafen, argues that the cancellation of concerts during the pandemic pushed her into an “existentially threatening” financial position. Her pursuit of justice seeks not only to challenge the legality of the 2G rules but to hold the judiciary accountable for the process by which those rules were defended.

Summary of Legal Status