Judges and Prosecutors Sound the Alarm: Staff Shortages Endanger the Judiciary in Austria

The Association of Prosecutors is striking the same note. It too sees working conditions in the prosecutors' offices shaped by chronic overwork. Case intake is high, while staffing levels have been inadequate for years.

Overwork Leaves Its Mark

The strain on judicial staff is having concrete consequences, according to the judges. Many judges regularly work in the evenings, on weekends, and sometimes even during vacation or despite being ill, in order to keep things running. "Dass wir im europäischen Vergleich nach wie vor unter den Besten oder den Schnellsten sind, geht nur, weil die Kolleg:innen regelmäßig abends und an Wochenenden arbeiten - viele sogar im Urlaub oder trotz Krankheit", so Kanduth.

In a significant proportion of staff, the psychological and physical effects of the prolonged strain are now making themselves felt. Burn-out, sleep disorders, and longer periods of sick leave are the result. The judiciary, in the tenor of the warnings, is thus running its own personnel into the ground.

Bottlenecks at the Federal Administrative Court

The Federal Administrative Court in Vienna is one of the institutions where the bottlenecks are particularly evident. There, too, a high number of cases are handled with a thin staffing level. In the critics' view, the structural problems extend far beyond any single court.

The warnings are directed not least at the Ministry of Justice. The judges and prosecutors say they expect more staff, better working conditions, and reliable funding for the courts. Otherwise, a creeping loss in the quality and duration of proceedings threatens.

Demands on the Ministry of Justice

The debate comes at a time when Austria's judiciary is already under heightened scrutiny. Critics have long complained that proceedings in some areas drag on for years. Should the staff shortage not be remedied, this trend is likely to become further entrenched, according to the judges' association and the prosecutors.

The presidents of the judges' associations announced that they would increase pressure on policymakers. Further protest actions and public statements cannot be ruled out if the situation does not change fundamentally. The message is clear: a functioning judiciary is not something that runs on its own; it must be politically desired and funded.

A response from the Ministry of Justice was still pending at the time of reporting. It remains unclear whether and to what extent additional positions will be created or whether existing bottlenecks will be cushioned by organizational measures.