Spectacular investigations and discussions about political influences have characterized recent years: this plays no role in the current negotiations. There is plenty to do.
Topics that have shaped political discourse in recent years are hardly happening at the moment. Climate (also because the Greens no longer have anything to say), or justice – this is precisely what caused unrest. Proceedings against top politicians, including dismissal. Recently, some rather tepid cell phone security regulations caused a stir. Action was taken quickly because the Constitutional Court (VfGH) demanded a solution that suited the times. The public prosecutor remains “master of the process”. Solicitor President Armenak Utudjian believes the settlement will end up back in the Supreme Court.
Criticism of ‘cash cow justice’
Moreover, Austria is the only country that charges more legal fees than is necessary to run the judiciary: 116 percent. Germany is in second place with 45 percent, the median is 8 percent. The judiciary is a ‘cash cow’ that should not exist. The lawyers are calling for a “reform of the court fee structure, some of which dates back to the monarchy, to guarantee access to justice for all citizens.”
Experts criticize the government’s politicization
Ex-minister and ex-supreme judge Clemens Jabloner warned in 2019 of a “silent death of justice”. Unfortunately, a sentence that is still relevant. Despite all the efforts of outgoing Justice Minister Alma Zadic (Greens), there is a huge shortage of judges and prosecutors – especially in the Public Prosecutor’s Office for Economic Affairs and Corruption (WKStA), which is responsible for many noisy cases.
Speaking of which, these cases sometimes last for centuries. See Buwog v Grasser and Co. Since 2009 (!) still no legal settlement. It should be ready in the spring of 2025. Moreover, Jabloner and colleagues such as anti-corruption activist Martin Kreutner criticize the politicization of the government in general and also of the top echelons of the judiciary. The minister is standing there. We will probably have to wait even longer for an independent public prosecutor, which has already been discussed a lot.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
