The crime rate in Germany is relatively low and violent crime is rare, although it can occur, especially in the larger cities or in high-risk areas such as train stations. Most incidents of street crime consist of theft of unattended items and pick pocketing. The most important source of law in Germany is the Constitution or Basic Law. In addition to establishing the basic rights to which all people are entitled, the Basic Law also establishes the Constitutional bodies of the government, the framework of the judicial system and the method by which government representatives are selected.

The German system is a civil law tradition, which relies on a series of codes to establish a legal framework. There are five primary codes in Germany, the Civil Code, the Code of Civil Procedure, the German Commercial Code, the Penal Code of the Federal Republic of Germany, and the German Code of Criminal Procedure. The courts can be divided into three categories: ordinary courts that hear civil and criminal matters; specialized courts; and Constitutional courts. Most lawyers and attorneys have a good understanding of English.