It’s not a disaster, because in Germany there is Roman law, as opposed to America’s common law. It’s different and it makes a sentence something much less disastrous.
You are correct about the law, but that is also an idealized statement. They do use precedent as well in Germany. Judges do draw from previous comparable verdicts. A previous failed attempt can significantly lower chances for a future success in a similar case. For each book of law, you can buy books with commentary, relating to previous cases and what their outcome was. This has actual influence on future verdicts.