Esther Happacher - University of Innsbruck, Institut für Italienisches Recht

Maria Bertel - University of Innsbruck, Institut für Öffentliches Recht, Staats- und Verwaltungslehre

Austria

From 1 January 2025 new federal rules apply in the area of the seizure of data carriers such as mobile phones or laptops and data: Article 1 Bundesgesetz, mit dem die Strafprozeßordnung 1975, das Staatsanwaltschaftsgesetz, das Gerichtsorganisationsgesetz, das Finanzstrafgesetz, das Justizbetreuungsagentur-Gesetz und das Allgemeine Verwaltungsverfahrensgesetz 1991 geändert werden (Strafprozessrechtsänderungsgesetz 2024) - https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/eli/bgbl/I/2024/157.

The rules were necessary because the Constitutional Court, in its ruling G 352 2021 of 14 December 2023, declared the existing rules, which permitted the securement of mobile phones (mobile data carriers) in criminal proceedings without prior judicial authorization, to be unconstitutional due to the violation of data protection and the right to privacy and repealed them with effect from 1 January 2025. In future, prior judicial authorization will be mandatory.

Austria

From September 2025, Austria will also have a constitutionally guaranteed right to information from the state: https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/Dokument.wxe?Abfrage=BgblAuth&Dokumentnummer=BGBLA_2024_I_5

Official confidentiality, which has been enshrined in the Federal Constitution B-VG since 1925, is abolished shortly before its 100th anniversary. The new Article 22a of the Federal Constitution B-VG introduces a constitutional obligation to actively disclose information for the organs of the federal and provincial administration, the ordinary and administrative courts and the Constitutional Court, as well as a constitutionally guaranteed right and thus fundamental right of access to information. In future, this should make Austria's regularly poor performance in international transparency rankings a thing of the past and bring about a paradigm shift towards a transparent state. Only municipalities with fewer than 5,000 inhabitants are excluded from the proactive information obligation, as it is feared that their capacities would be overstretched, particularly from a technical point of view.

Austria

Recently, the Austrian Constitutional Court had to decide on several cases related to climate change and the environment. None of the cases were successful.

The first case was decided on 27 June 2023 (G 123/2023-12). In a so-called "individual application" based on Article 140 para 1 no 1 lit c Federal Constitutional Act ("B-VG"), several children asked the Constitutional Court to review § 3 of the Austrian "Climate Protection Act" and declare it unconstitutional on the grounds that it violates several constitutionally guaranteed rights. Among other things, the children pointed to a violation of Article 1 of the Federal Constitutional Law on the Rights of the Child. In its decision, the Court confirmed its strict jurisprudence on the admissibility requirements for this type of application and rejected the children's application on the grounds that the scope of the challenge was too narrow.

Austria

 

AUTHOR (name and surname)

Maria Bertel

COUNTRY

Austria

YEAR

2022

Name of the act/s*

Constitutional Court, 15 September 2022, SV 1/2021-23

Subject area

Public International Law and National Law

Brief description of the contents of the act

The Constitutional Court has for the first time declared provisions of a treaty (Agreement between the Republic of Austria and the Organization of Oil-Exporting Countries on the headquarters of the Organization of Oil-Exporting Countries BGBl 382/1974, last amended BGBl III 108/2010)

Comment

In this decision, the Constitutional Court has declared several provisions unconstitutional because they violate Art 6 para 1 ECHR. The provisions stipulate, that the OPEC is exempt from state jurisdiction. The claimant argued, that for labor disputes neither state courts nor an alternative mechanism within OPEC was available. The Court pointed out, that a fair trial had to be guaranteed also in labour disputes. The Court held, that as long as an appropriate mechanism for the settlement of labor disputes that safeguards the rights of employees was not in place, the respective provisions could not be interpreted as being in conformity with the constitution. It therefore declared the provisions unconstitutional.

Secondary sources/ doctrinal works (if any)

  

*Act citation /year and number

Constitutional Court, 15 September 2022, SV 1/2021-23

Enacted by

Constitutional Court

Official link to the text of the act

https://www.vfgh.gv.at/downloads/VfGH-Erkenntnis_SV_1_2021_vom_29._September_2022.pdf
Austria

 

AUTHOR (name and surname)

Esther Happacher

COUNTRY

Austria

YEAR

2022

Name of the act/s*

Bundesgesetz, mit dem das Staatsbürgerschaftsgesetz 1985 geändert wird

Subject area

Citizenship

Brief description of the contents of the act

The Federal Law amends the Nationality Act, according to which the regulations for acquiring citizenship for the descendants of those persecuted by the Nazi regime are to be extended. Furthermore, a  facilitation of access to citizenship for foreigners of full age is introduced.

Comment

  

Secondary sources/ doctrinal works (if any)

  

*Act citation /year and number

BGBl. I Nr. 49/2022

Enacted by

Federation

Official link to the text of the act

https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/eli/bgbl/I/2022/49/20220413

AUTHOR (name and surname)

Esther Happacher

COUNTRY

Austria

YEAR

2022

Name of the act/s*


Bundesgesetz, mit dem das Sicherheitspolizeigesetz geändert wird

Subject area

Covid-19; fundamental rights

Brief description of the contents of the act

The Federal Law allows for the establishment of protection zones around hospitals and other essential health facilities in order to prevent possible obstructions of health care - for example by opponents of COVID-19 measures.

Comment

  

Secondary sources/ doctrinal works (if any)

  

*Act citation /year and number

BGBl. I Nr. 50/2022

Enacted by

Federation

Official link to the text of the act

https://www.ris.bka.gv.at/eli/bgbl/I/2022/50/20220413

 

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