Rechtsguts

Rechtsguts is a German legal term that denotes the legally protected interests or values that the law seeks to safeguard. In legal doctrine, Rechtsgüter function as the normative ends of criminal and civil law, defining what conduct may violate the law and what interests the law aims to protect.

Common examples of Rechtsgüter include life and physical integrity, personal freedom, privacy and personality rights, property and ownership, honor or reputation, and, in contemporary contexts, environmental protection and data protection. The exact list of recognized Rechtsgüter varies by jurisdiction and over time, as courts interpret and balance competing interests in applying the law.

In criminal law, the Schutzgut (protected good) concept explains the rationale behind offenses: acts are judged illegal insofar as they infringe a protected Rechtsgut. The same concept informs civil liability, where violations of Rechtsgüter can ground claims for damages, injunctions, or other remedies. The Rechtsgut framework helps margin the scope of legal prohibition and the severity of sanctions by focusing on the value at stake rather than on the mere violation of a rule.

The Rechtsgut concept is theoretical but practically important, as it provides a structured way to understand why different harms are prohibited and how legal systems prioritize competing interests in a given case. It also emphasizes that the law protects a range of intangible values—beyond material goods—such as dignity, autonomy, and informational self-determination.

See also: Schutzgut, Rechtswidrigkeit, Strafrecht.