Coercive paternity testing: suspension of enforcement to compel medical examinations

The Federal Constitutional Court extended the existing interim order for an additional six months, capping the duration until a final decision on the underlying constitutional complaint, thereby maintaining the suspension of enforcement measures pending the outcome of the review. The case concerned a constitutional complaint challenging the state's coercive power to compel a respondent to undergo medical examinations for the purpose of establishing paternity, a matter previously addressed by a temporary injunction issued in February 2011. The decision rests on the doctrine of interim relief under the German Basic Law, specifically the authority to maintain protective orders when immediate constitutional rights are at stake and irreparable harm to the individual’s bodily integrity or personal autonomy may result from forced participation in diagnostic procedures.