Austria
2026
- GOVERNMENT
- federal parliamentary republic
- CONSTITUTION
- 1920, revised in 1929 and reformulated in 1945; amended many times, last in 2020
- LEGAL SYSTEM
- civil law system; judicial review of legislative acts by the Constitutional Court; subject to the compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ
- LEGISLATIVE SYSTEM
- bicameral, Federal Assembly (Bundesversammlung) composed of the National Council (Nationalrat) and the Federal Council (Bundesrat)
- JUDICIAL SYSTEM
- Supreme Court of Justice or Oberster Gerichtshof (composed of 85 judges organized into 17 senates or chambers of 5 judges each); Constitutional Court or Verfassungsgerichtshof (composed of 20 judges including 6 substitutes; Administrative Court or Verwaltungsgerichtshof - 2 judges plus other members depending on the importance of the case); Courts of Appeal (4); Regional Courts (20); District Courts (120); County Courts
RELIGIONS
Roman Catholic 55.2%, Muslim 8.3%, Orthodox 4.9%, Evangelical Christian 3.8%, Jewish 0.1%, other 5.4%, none 22.4% (estimate 2021)
From the country
- FEBRUARY 20, 2000AustriaDEATH PENALTY
Austria's new government including the radical Freedom...
Austria's new government including the radical Freedom Party, led by the controversial Joerg Haider, was not well received by the European Union's other 14 member nations, who condemned the new coalition government with an unprecedented unanimity
- JANUARY 13, 2000AustriaDEATH PENALTY
Turkey's decision to postpone the execution of the...
Turkey's decision to postpone the execution of the death sentence given to Abdullah Ocalan, leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, until the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) decides on his case was welcomed by the Organisation for Security and Co-op
- JANUARY 1, 2000AustriaDEATH PENALTY
Federal Constitutional Law of the Republic of Austria...
Federal Constitutional Law of the Republic of Austria (1920 as amended in 1968) at Art
- JUNE 29, 1999AustriaDEATH PENALTY
On June 29, Austrian Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister...
On June 29, Austrian Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel, in statement regarding the case of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan, expressed his deep concern that "the execution of Ocalan could aggravate feelings and consequently prevent a polit
- APRIL 28, 1999AustriaDEATH PENALTY
Austria was a cosponsor and voted in favor of the resolution...
Austria was a cosponsor and voted in favor of the resolution on the death penalty approved by the UN Commission on Human Rights on April 28 (1999/61)
- JANUARY 1, 1999AustriaDEATH PENALTY
Federal Constitutional Law of the Republic of Austria...
Federal Constitutional Law of the Republic of Austria (1920 as amended in 1968) at Art