Criminal defence, white-collar crime, regulatory investigations and extradition matters for foreigners.
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Yes — in all EU countries you have the right to legal representation from the moment of arrest. You also have the right to an interpreter if you do not speak the local language.
Contact an English-speaking criminal defence lawyer immediately. Do not answer police questions without a lawyer present.
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Find My Lawyer in 60 SecondsAustrian criminal law is codified in the Strafgesetzbuch (StGB) 1974 (substantive offences) and the Strafprozessordnung (StPO) 2004 (criminal procedure). The prosecution authority is the Staatsanwaltschaft; specialised prosecutors include the Wirtschafts- und Korruptionsstaatsanwaltschaft (WKStA) for economic crime and corruption.
| Category | Maximum Sentence | Examples | Court |
|---|---|---|---|
| Verbrechen (serious offence) | Min 3 years imprisonment | Mord (75), Raub (142), schwerer Betrug (147) | Landesgericht (Geschworenengericht for over 10yr offences) |
| Vergehen (offence) | Up to 3 years imprisonment or fine | Diebstahl (127), einfacher Betrug (146), fahrlassige KV (88) | Bezirksgericht (up to 1yr) or Landesgericht |
| Verwaltungsuebertretung (administrative) | Fine or administrative detention | Traffic violations, minor order offences | Verwaltungsbehoerde (VStG) |
Key procedural rights: Right to remain silent (Aussageverweigerungsrecht, StPO 157 Abs 1 Z 1 - no adverse inference may be drawn). Right to legal counsel (Recht auf Verteidiger, StPO 58) - must be informed at first questioning; if unable to afford, Verfahrenshilfe (legal aid) applies. Right to an interpreter (StPO 56). Maximum pre-trial detention without judicial review: 48 hours (StPO 171 Abs 4; Haftpruefungsverhandlung before Haftrichter within 48hr). Remand detention (Untersuchungshaft, StPO 173) reviewed every 14 days initially.
| Court | Jurisdiction | Composition |
|---|---|---|
| Bezirksgericht | Vergehen up to 1 year imprisonment | Single judge (Einzelrichter) |
| Landesgericht (Schoeffengericht) | Vergehen 1-5 years; Verbrechen (most) | 1 professional judge + 2 lay judges (Schoffen) |
| Landesgericht (Geschworenengericht) | Verbrechen with max over 10 years | 3 professional judges + 8 jurors (Geschworene) |
| Oberlandesgericht (OLG) | Appeals from Landesgericht | Panel of 3-5 judges |
| Oberster Gerichtshof (OGH) | Revision on points of law | Panel of 5 judges |
Markus, a CFO of a Vienna-based trading company, was investigated by the WKStA for schwerer Betrug under StGB 147 (aggravated fraud, 1-10 years). Alleged: EUR 890,000 in fictitious supplier invoices channelled to a related party. WKStA filed charges after a 14-month investigation. Markus's Verteidiger challenged digital evidence obtained under a Sicherstellungsanordnung (seizure order, StPO 110). The Landesgericht Wien admitted the evidence and granted a Schoeffenverfahren. After a 3-week trial, Markus was convicted under 146 (simple fraud) not 147, receiving a 24-month suspended sentence (bedingte Freiheitsstrafe, StGB 43) and ordered to repay EUR 650,000 in restitution (Schadenswiedergutmachung).
