Germany's highest court is considering a bid to outlaw the country's biggest far-right party — a second attempt to secure what would be the first ban on a party for 60 years.

The Federal Constitutional Court on Tuesday opened three days of hearings on an application from parliament's upper house, which represents Germany's 16 state governments, for a ban on the National Democratic Party.

The states allege that it promotes a racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic agenda in violation of the constitution. They applied for the ban at the end of 2013.

In 2003, the Constitutional Court rejected a first attempt to ban the party because paid government informants within the group were partially responsible for the evidence against it. Officials say there's no evidence from informants in the new case.