Police Exemptions and a New Ombudsman: North Rhine-Westphalia Revises Anti-Discrimination Law
24.06.2026 - 20:34:54 | boerse-global.de
A heavily reworked version of North Rhine-Westphalia’s planned Anti-Discrimination Act has cleared the state cabinet, after police unions and other groups raised fierce objections to an earlier draft. The black-green coalition government says the revised text strikes a balance between protecting people from unequal treatment and keeping law enforcement agencies able to do their jobs.
The most contentious issue—the burden of proof—has been tightened significantly. An earlier proposal would have let complainants establish a case by offering mere circumstantial evidence. That is gone. Under the current language, claimants must now present concrete facts before their allegations can move forward.
A new state ombudsman will be created alongside the legal framework, tasked with mediating disputes and resolving complaints outside the courtroom. The cabinet also approved a closed list of protected characteristics, giving both citizens and public bodies clear legal certainty about what forms of discrimination the law covers.
Police and judicial authorities are explicitly excluded from the act during investigations. The government insisted that operational criminal work must not be burdened with additional procedural hurdles. The Gewerkschaft der Polizei (GdP) welcomed the compromise, saying it takes officers' concerns seriously.
The law is scheduled to take effect on 1 October 2026. Administrative preparations, especially for the ombudsman’s office, must be completed by then. The state parliament still needs to pass the final text, but coalition leaders expect a smooth vote.
Other legislative projects remain on hold. A planned language-support law for school pupils and new heat-free rules for upper-secondary students will not come to a vote until around mid-July 2026 at the earliest.
