ABSTRACT
The German experience with nuclear energy is universal. Those nearly 70 years of experience should greatly interest an audience outside Germany. Firstly, universality means the reception of the German experience in other democracies with the established rule of law and the nuclear power sector present (or planned) will be easy. Because of the central role of the German Federal Constitutional Court, developments within the German constitutional system (and public debate on those issues, including numerous judgments and even more peer-reviewed literature) are of interest not only for the legal systems with the continental legal system but also in common law countries. Secondly, similar legal issues arise in all countries that developed their nuclear sectors (or intend to develop). Those issues concern the full life cycle of nuclear installations (or nuclear material) at the investment and disinvestment phases, policy or governance level. Thirdly, those jurisdictions that do not have (or do not plan to develop) a nuclear power sector share similar issues in the area of radiological protection (including consequences of military application of nuclear energy).
