- Legal Basis
- §§ 58e, 59 ff. HeilBerG NRW
- Sentencing Range
- Reprimand + fine up to €10,000; professional-court fine up to €100,000
- Summary
- Sanctioning of professional-duty breaches by the chamber (reprimand) and the professional court.
Professional Court for the Healthcare Professions – Overview
Doctors, dentists, pharmacists and psychotherapists are subject to the professional supervision of their chamber. Minor breaches of professional duties are sanctioned by the chamber board with a reprimand – under Section 58e of the NRW Healthcare Professions Act (HeilBerG) combined with a fine of up to €10,000. Those affected can apply within one month for a professional-court review. Serious breaches lead to formal professional-court proceedings with sanctions up to a finding of unfitness to practise. We represent members of the healthcare professions nationwide in both types of proceedings.
The reprimand and the professional-court review
The chamber board may reprimand a member for a professional offence where the fault is minor (Section 58e(1) HeilBerG); the reprimand may be combined with a fine of up to €10,000 (Section 58e(3)). Against the reprimand the member may, within one month of service, apply for a decision of the professional court (Section 58e(4)). The contested decision must be set aside insofar as the challenge is justified.
Formal professional-court proceedings
For more serious breaches the chamber applies to open formal proceedings. Every federal state has its own professional court for the healthcare professions; in the Nordrhein district this is the court at the Administrative Court of Cologne, with the State Professional Court at the Higher Administrative Court of Münster on appeal. Possible measures range from a warning and a reprimand to a fine of up to €100,000 and a finding of unfitness to practise, which can pave the way to revocation of the Approbation.
How we defend
We check service and the instructions on the available remedy (errors extend the deadline), contest whether a professional duty was breached at all, challenge the proportionality of the fine, and keep the interplay with criminal and Approbation law in view. The aim is usually to keep matters at the milder reprimand stage and to avoid formal proceedings.
This overview is general in nature. Professional law for the healthcare professions is state law; the section references follow the example of North Rhine-Westphalia, but the system is comparable in the other federal states. We act nationwide.
Summons or accusation of Berufsgericht für Heilberufe: Rüge, Ordnungsgeld & berufsgerichtliche Nachprüfung? What matters now
Make no statement to the police at first
As an accused person you are never obliged to comment on the allegation. Anything said to the police can be used against you. Provide statements only through your defense attorney and only after reviewing the case file.
File inspection comes first
A sound defense against the allegation of Berufsgericht für Heilberufe: Rüge, Ordnungsgeld & berufsgerichtliche Nachprüfung requires knowledge of the investigation file. Only once the available evidence is clear can we decide whether a statement is advisable or whether remaining silent is the better strategy.
Possible discontinuation of proceedings
Not every case ends in a trial. Depending on the evidence and any prior record, the proceedings may be discontinued for lack of sufficient suspicion (§ 170 II StPO), for triviality (§ 153 StPO) or subject to conditions (§ 153a StPO). Often a penalty order without a public trial can be achieved.
Victim-offender mediation and restitution
In many cases, victim-offender mediation or making good the damage (§ 46a StGB) can significantly reduce the sentence or enable a discontinuation. Whether this is advisable in your case is something we assess based on the file.
What we do after reviewing the file
We examine the evidence for reliability and admissibility, look for procedural errors, develop the defense strategy, seek a dismissal of the proceedings through discussions with the public prosecutor’s office and represent you, if necessary, at trial before the Bonn Local Court or Bonn Regional Court.
Available 24/7: +49 228 504 463 36
This information does not replace a review of the individual case. In criminal proceedings, the defense strategy depends substantially on the case file, the specific allegation and the evidence.
What to do now
Act now: Police summons – how to respond, Penalty order – check the deadline
Court: Proceedings at Bonn Local Court
Emergency help: Summons, House search, Detention
Local defense: Criminal defense attorney in Bonn, Cologne, All offences
Why choose BAFTEH Criminal Defense?
- Direct contact with your defense attorney – no intermediaries
- Available around the clock, including nights and weekends
- Fast file inspection and a clear defense strategy
- Focused exclusively on criminal law
- Defense in Bonn, Cologne and the entire region
Written by attorney Philip Bafteh, criminal defense attorney in Bonn. Philip Bafteh publishes regularly on criminal and commercial law and defends accused persons in investigative and trial proceedings.
More about the attorney →Last updated: July 2026
Free Initial Assessment
Have you received a summons or are you under investigation? Call us – the initial assessment by phone is free for up to 10 minutes.
+49 228 504 463 36