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Notstandslagen

Notstandslagen are legal provisions that regulate how a state may respond to extraordinary crises by temporarily expanding governmental powers and restricting civil liberties. They specify the triggers that can activate emergency measures, the authorities authorized to act, the scope of actions allowed (military, police, economic measures, communications), and the safeguards that limit abuse. Common features include parliamentary oversight, judicial review, and time limits or sunset clauses to terminate measures automatically unless renewed.

In Germany, the term is particularly associated with the Notstandsgesetze of 1968, which amended the constitutional

Across jurisdictions, Notstandslagen reflect a balance between effective crisis management and protection of fundamental rights. Proponents

Basic
Law
to
authorize
a
broader
set
of
emergency
measures
while
seeking
to
preserve
democratic
controls.
The
reforms
and
the
debates
surrounding
them
remain
a
central
reference
in
discussions
of
security,
liberty,
and
constitutional
order.
In
practice,
a
general
state
of
emergency
has
not
been
declared
in
peacetime
since
those
provisions
were
enacted,
and
the
laws
include
checks
such
as
legislative
consent
and
court
review.
argue
they
provide
necessary
tools
to
respond
to
war,
natural
disasters,
or
internal
crises;
critics
warn
of
potential
overreach
and
the
erosion
of
civil
liberties.
Because
the
definition,
scope,
and
safeguards
of
emergency
laws
vary
by
country,
the
term
is
used
with
both
legal
and
political
significance
in
constitutional
law
discourse.