Karsten Harms

Vice-President of the Higher Administrative Court (VGH) (retired), Counsel

Mr Karsten Harms is now a practising lawyer after working for many years in administrative jurisdiction for the state of Baden-Württemberg – most recently as Vice-President of the Higher Administrative Court (VGH) of Baden-Württemberg and chair of a building and sectoral planning senate. He advises developers, neighbours, communities and approval authorities on all aspects of construction planning law and building regulations law. He supports the establishment of development plans, inspects building applications and drafts building-law related rulings.

Practice areas

Environmental law and planning law
Project support in real estate utilisation plans and building permit proceedings
Consulting for and acting on behalf of communities in planning and approval processes

Vita

1974 - 1980 Law studies in Freiburg and Zurich
1980 - 1983 Legal clerkship at Freiburg District Court
1983 - 1987 Probationary judge at Karlsruhe Administrative Court
1985 - 1987 Secondment to the District Administrator’s Office Karlsruhe, including serving as
Director of the Road Traffic Licensing Department
1987 - 1994 Judge at Karlsruhe Administrative Court
1994 - 2002 Judge at Baden-Württemberg Higher Administrative Court (VGH)
2002 - 2005 Presiding Judge at Karlsruhe Administrative Court
2005 - 2016 Presiding Judge at Baden-Württemberg Higher Administrative Court (VGH), from 2009 in a senate for construction law and law on regional development
2016 - 2019 Vice-President of Baden-Württemberg Higher Administrative Court (VGH) and chairman of a senate for construction law, law on regional development and sectoral planning law
2019 Admitted to the German bar

Other activities and memberships

Lectures/seminars on construction planning and building regulations law, on municipal law and on the drafting of official orders
Head of a trainee lawyer study group on public law at Karlsruhe District Court
Examiner for the First Law Examination and Second State Law Examination

Specialised publications

„Gesetze zur Digitalisierung baurechtlicher Verfahren“, VWBl BW 2024, 133 (mit Fischer)
Europarecht im deutschen Verwaltungsprozess: Ausländerrecht, VBlBW 2001, 121
Gesellschaftliche Entwicklungen im Spiegel der Rechtsprechung des Verwaltungsgerichtshofs Baden-Württemberg, VBlBW 2008, 402

About me

My greatest passions are playing tennis, speed chess on the Internet and looking after my two twin grandchildren once a week on "Grandad Day".