. NMT03-T0466
Volume III · Page 466
could only overcome the difficulties of heterogeneous legal administration by this confirmation, and that in his opinion it was definitely necessary to introduce the confirmation also for civil justice." |
| Then I am going to skip a sentence and I'd like to read the last paragraph of the letter: |
"I would be especially grateful to you, dear Reich Minister Lammers, if you would present the matter to the Fuehrer again. I have the hope therewith that, if the Fuehrer rejects the present handling of criminal justice, and on the strength of your argument, knows that the confirmatory proceeding is the only and safe remedy, he will not withhold this remedy from the Reich Minister of Justice. |
| As I recall your testimony, it was that
Hitler had been very abusive to you in his speech of 26 April 1942, and that
after that you had made up your mind to resign. Is that what you testified to?
A. Yes. I have said that I wanted to make it clear whether these attacks were directed against the administration of justice, and in that case I was determined to let matters drift toward a break and to withdraw from my office. Q. Now I know that you said in 1941 that Goering had said to you that he would never forgive you and Dr. Guertner for centralizing justice, is that correct? A. Yes. Q. And now when you desired to have a conversation with Goering, would you go to Karinhall or would he come to the Reich Ministry of Justice, as a rule? A. No, no. In such cases when Goering wanted to speak to me, he called me up and asked me to come and see him. Goering at that time dealt with a case in which he wanted to have a legal opinion. That was why he wanted to talk to me. On that occasion. we came into that conversation. Q. Did Goering agree to support your plan at this conversation you had with him between 6 and 12 May 1942, or do you recall? A. I take the liberty to explain that. I told him what my plan was, and he told me, "But that is the only possibility to handle these things." [He said] I could not get anywhere in my field if I did not have that right of confirmation. |
