ABSTRACT
Each Land has a constitution that establishes the structure of government within the region. Although it must be compatible with the Grundgesetz (Art 28(1), Basic Law) the constitution of each Land is the sole responsibility of the regional institutions. Each Land, with the exception of SchleswigHolstein, has a constitutional court at the apex of its constitutional structure. These courts, not the BVerfG, adjudicate on Länder constitution matters. Only in Schleswig-Holstein are Länder constitutional disputes handled by the BVerfG. Although a significant degree of organisational autonomy is granted to the regional authorities, in general Länder institutions followed the federal model (Paterson and Southern, 1991, p 147).
