1. § 3.1(1) and § 3.1 sent. 2 no. 5, §§ 3.3, 3.4, 3.5(1), 3.7(1) and 3.8(2) as
well as § 9.2(3) of the Gesetz zur Beschränkung des Brief-, Post- und
Fernmeldegeheimnisses (Gesetz zu Artikel 10) (G 10) (Act on the Restriction of the Secrecy of Mail, Posts and Telecommunications; Act
referring to Article 10 of the Basic Law; G 10 Act) as promulgated on
28 October 1994 under the name of Gesetz zur Änderung des Strafgesetzbuches, der Strafprozessordnung und anderer Gesetze (Verbrechensbekämpfungsgesetz) (Act amending the Criminal Code, the
Code of Criminal Procedure and Other Acts; Fight against Crime ActBundesgesetzblatt [Federal Law Gazette] I, p. 3186), as amended by
the Begleitgesetz zum Telekommunikationsgesetz (BegleitG, Companion Act of the Telecommunications Act) of 17 December 1997 (Bundesgesetzblatt I, p. 3108) are inconsistent with Article 10 of the Basic Law.
Moreover, §§ 3.3(1), 3.4 and 3.5(1) of the G 10 Act are inconsistent with
Article 5.1(2) of the Basic Law, and § 3.8(2) of the G 10 Act is inconsistent with Article 19.4 of the Basic Law as well.
2. Regarding the other constitutional complaints brought by the complainant in the first constitutional complaint (1), by the first of the two
complainants bringing the second constitutional complaint (2a), and
by both complainants bringing the third constitutional complaint (3a
and 3b), they are rejected as being unfounded.
3. The claims raised by the second of the two complainants bringing the
second constitutional complaint (2b) are dismissed as inadmissible.
4. The Federal Republic of Germany shall reimburse one half of the necessary expenses of the complainant bringing the first constitutional
complaint (1), the first of the two complainants bringing the second
constitutional complaint (2a), and both complainants bringing the third
constitutional complaint (3a and 3b).
Grounds:
A.
The constitutional complaints concern the authority of the Bundesnachrichtendienst
(Federal Intelligence Service) to monitor, record and evaluate telecommunications
traffic and to transfer the data thus obtained to other public agencies. The constitutional complaints also challenge other regulations of the Gesetz zur Beschränkung
des Brief-, Post- und Fernmeldegeheimnisses (Act on the Restriction of the Secrecy
of Mail, Posts and Telecommunications) as amended in 1994 by the Verbrechensbekämpfungsgesetz (1994 Fight against Crime Act).
1
I.
1. The Gesetz zur Beschränkung des Brief-, Post- und Fernmeldegeheimnisses
5/77
2