Ministry of Justice (Austria)

The Ministry of Justice (German: Bundesminister für Justiz) is the government ministry of Austria responsible for the administration of justice. The ministry exercises administrative supervision and is charged with the compensation of the judiciary and the prosecutors, manages their office buildings and facilities, and administers the prison system.

Ministry of Justice
Bundesministerium für Justiz
Agency overview
Formed1749; 275 years ago (1749) (as Supreme Office of Justice)
HeadquartersPalais Trautson, Museumstraße 7, Neubau, Vienna[1]
48°12′33″N 16°21′57″E / 48.20917°N 16.36583°E / 48.20917; 16.36583
Annual budget€1,87 billion (FY 2022)[2]
Agency executive
Websitebmj.gv.at

The ministry is headquartered in the Palais Trautson. The current Minister of Justice is Alma Zadić.[4][5]

History

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First established in 1848, the ministry's exact name and portfolio have undergone changes numerous times throughout the years. From 2018 to 2020, the ministry was officially called the Ministry of Constitutional Affairs, Reforms, Deregulation and Justice (Bundesministerium für Verfassung, Reformen, Deregulierung und Justiz).[6] In addition to its traditional responsibilities, it is tasked with supporting the Kurz cabinet's program of simplifying the country's unusually large body of constitutional law.[7] and of reducing the amount of law on the books in general.[8][9] One of its departments, the Constitutional Office (Verfassungsdienst), is the body tasked with representing the executive branch before the Constitutional Court and the Republic of Austria before the European Court of Justice and the European Court of Human Rights. The Constitutional Office also assists other ministries in drafting legislation and in evaluating the constitutionality of draft statutes prepared elsewhere. It is also in charge of the Austrian data protection agency.[citation needed]

Structure

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As of May 2018, the ministry consists of the Minister and her personal staff (Kabinett), the office of the director general, and seven departments:[10]

  • European and international affairs and protocol (Stabsstelle für Europäische und Internationale Justizangelegenheiten sowie Protokollarische Angelegenheiten)
  • Public relations (Stabsstelle für Kommunikation und Öffentlichkeitsarbeit)
  • Civil law (Zivilrechtssektion)
  • Corrections (Generaldirektion für den Strafvollzug und den Vollzug freiheitsentziehender Maßnahmen)
  • Coordination (Präsidialsektion)
  • Criminal law (Strafrechtssektion)
  • Constitutional Office (Verfassungsdienst)

The Minister and her staff are political appointees; the general secretary and the section heads are career civil servants.[11]

Ministers

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Impressum". justiz.gv.at (in German). Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  2. ^ "Bundesfinanzgesetz 2022" (PDF). service.bmf.gv.at. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  3. ^ "Bundesministerium für Justiz". justiz.gv.at (in German). Retrieved 24 March 2022.
  4. ^ "Türkis-Blau: Das sind die neuen Minister". Kurier. December 16, 2017. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  5. ^ "16-köpfiges ÖVP-FPÖ-Team vereidigt". ORF. December 16, 2017. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  6. ^ "Bundesministeriengesetz-Novelle 2017; BGBl. I Nr. 164/2017" (in German). December 28, 2017. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  7. ^ "Moser: "Föderalismus-Entwirrung" wird ab Sommer behandelt" (in German). Presse. March 15, 2018. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  8. ^ Aichinger, Philipp (January 1, 2018). "Rechtsbereinigung: Der Stichtag an den Iden des März" (in German). Presse. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  9. ^ Postl, Elisabeth (April 27, 2018). "Regierung wirbt einmal mehr für Rechtsbereinigung" (in German). Presse. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  10. ^ "Organisation des Ministeriums" (in German). BMVIT. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
  11. ^ Kommenda, Benedikt (February 26, 2018). "Der gar nicht so heimliche Justizminister" (in German). Presse. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
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