KARLSRUHE, Germany, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- Restrictions on the German military have been relaxed, allowing it to use weapons in civilian situations in extreme cases, the German high court ruled.
The court, with judicial review power similar to that of the U.S. Supreme Court, said the armed forces can be deployed, with the approval of the federal government, only if Germany faces an assault of "catastrophic proportions" but not to control demonstrations, the BBC reported Friday. It noted the change from post-World War II constitutional provisions that soldiers could not be deployed in attack situations on German soil.
The judges had in mind a scenario involving a terrorist incident involving armed attackers in public places, the BBC said.