Workshop: Coercion in the Service of Treatment

Review of the Workshop “Coercion in the Service of Treatment” (23–24 October 2025)
On 23 and 24 October 2025, the interdisciplinary workshop “Coercion in the Service of Treatment” took place at the conference center at the Observatory in Göttingen. The event was organized by the Center for Medical Law in cooperation with the DGPPN and the AEM.
The closed workshop focused on the diverse forms and challenges of coercive measures in medical, nursing, ethical, and legal contexts. One of the reasons for convening the workshop was the far-reaching requirements laid out by the Federal Constitutional Court regarding compulsory treatment, as well as the Court’s renewed consideration of the issue in 2024, which obliges lawmakers to establish new regulatory conditions for compulsory treatment of legally supervised persons by the end of 2026.
Participants from various professional backgrounds engaged in open discussions about the practice, limits, and interpretations of coercion across different care settings—from psychiatric institutions and intensive care units to nursing homes and residential facilities.
The workshop began on the first day with a welcome coffee and, in addition to in-depth professional discussions, also offered opportunities for personal exchange, particularly during the joint workshop dinner in the evening. Catering was provided throughout both days.
The event concluded on 24 October at 4:00 p.m. and was recognized by the organizers, Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Volker Lipp and Prof. Dr. Jürgen L. Müller, as an important contribution to the interdisciplinary examination of coercive measures in treatment contexts.