In this study it is examined how the judiciary deals with those sections that are crucial for the use of nuclear energy. The authors get down to the pre-dominant problem of the law relating to technical safety. In the process they encounter the central dilemma of modern democracy, i.e. the strained relations which exist between judicial control and democratic responsibility. Since nuclear energy entered the market place, it has been the administrative courts which - in practice - have decided whether and to what extent nuclear energy may be used. On the one hand, this is a result of the fast growth of, and rapid change in, science and technology. On the other hand, it is a result of administrative law standards which have developed in the Federal Republic of Germany after World War II. The former requires the normative structure of the atomic law, the latter postulates how to deal with it. Legal protection against an act of public authority is guaranteed by the Basic Law and usually with some justification considered a splendid achievement of our state which is based on the rule of law. It has lead to developments in the atomic law and in many parts of the law relating to technical safety on which opinions are divided. In a dogmatic manner it has been legally examined to what extent an extensive review competence of the judiciary is a must, and whether there are any possibilities of judicial control of acts of public authorities without having to interfere with the original competence of administrations. (orig./HP). Buiren,-S.-van; Ballerstedt,-E.; Grimm,-D.
