Schlussplädoyer
Schlussplädoyer is a closing plea or final argument in criminal proceedings in German-speaking jurisdictions. The term combines Schluss (closing, final) and Plädoyer (plea or argument). It is used in countries such as Germany, Austria, and Switzerland to denote the concluding stage of the trial when parties present their legal reasoning after evidence and witness examination have been completed, prior to the judge or jury rendering a verdict.
The Schlussplädoyer serves to summarize the facts as found from the evidence, assess credibility, and articulate
Procedural details vary by jurisdiction, but the closing plea is generally delivered after the evidentiary phase
Schlussplädoyer is the closing counterpart to the closing arguments found in common-law traditions (often called closing