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ARTICLE 128–1
(1) The Federal Constitutional Court shall decide
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1. on the interpretation of this Basic Law in the event of disputes concerning the extent of the rights and duties of a supreme federal agency or of other participants accorded independent rights by this Basic Law or in the Standing Orders (Rules of Procedure) of a supreme federal
agency;
2. in cases of differences of opinion or doubts on the formal and material compatibility of federal law or Land law with this Basic Law, on the compatibility of Land law with some other federal law, on the appli- cation of the Federal Government, of a Land Government or of one-third of the members of the Volkstag;
:
3. in cases of differences of opinion on the rights and duties of the Federation and the Länder, particularly in the execution of federal law by the Länder, and in the exercise of federal supervision;
4. on other public law disputes between the Federation and the Länder, between different Länder or within a Land, in so far as appeal to another court is not provided for;
5. in all other cases provided for in this Basic Law.
ARTICLE 128-4
(1) To preserve the unity of federal law a Supreme Federal Court shall be
established.
(2) The Supreme Federal Court shall decide as the court of final instance in cases where the decision is of fundamental importance for the uniformity of the administration of justice of the higher federal courts.
(3) The composition, the competence and the procedure shall be regulated by a federal law.
ARTICLE 128-5
(1) The judges of the Supreme Federal Court must have reached the age of 40 years.
(2) Their appointment shall be decided jointly by the Federal Minister of Justice and a committee for the election of judges consisting of the Land Minis- ters of Justice and an equal number of members elected by the Volkstag.
(3) Details shall be regulated by a federal law.
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ARTICLE 129–1
(1) The legal position of the federal judges must be regulated by a special federal law.
(2) If a federal judge, in his official or unofficial capacity, infringes the principles of the Basic Law or the constitutional order of a Land, the Federal Constitutional Court may, on the application of the Volkstag or the Federal Minister of Justice, declare him to have forfeited his office and may at the same time determine whether he is to be transferred to another office or placed on the retired list. In the case of wilful or grossly negligent infringement, dismissal may be decided upon.
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ARTICLE 132
Judges shall be independent and subject only to the law.
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