Sporrer: No expansion of the messenger monitoring for criminal cases!

Sporrer: No expansion of the messenger monitoring for criminal cases!

Vienna, Österreich - Minister of Justice Anna Sporrer (SPÖ) excludes any expansion of the recently decided measure of messenger monitoring in the National Council. In her statement, she emphasized that this surveillance should only serve for terrorist prevention and defense. "I am not available for something else," said Sporrer and announced a veto in the Council of Ministers if there were to be extensions. It insists that experience in the already defined, narrow scope of application must first be gained before another discussion about possible changes is conducted. According to Sporrer, the law must now be put into practice.

The measure for messenger monitoring is to be used from 2027, only cases of terrorist and constitutional activities and espionage are intended. This is described by Sporrer as a very reduced procedure. Messenger monitoring is considered as an interference in fundamental rights under strict requirements. The Ministry of the Interior, which will take care of the legal software, is responsible for the legal framework.

state prosecutor should set new standards

A major innovation associated with the measure is the creation of a federal prosecutor as the top instance in criminal proceedings. This will consist of an equal triple body that is chosen for a period of six years. The members should have at least ten years of professional experience as judges or prosecutors. The selection process for these positions should run two -stage: an independent selection commission will evaluate the applications and check the integrity of the candidates. The resulting proposal is then presented to the National Council for election.

Sporrer emphasizes the need for transparency and a broad basis when choosing the candidates and rejects concerns that the personnel election could be influenced in part. In many other EU countries, a similar model for the election of constitutional judges and the top prosecutors is common. In addition, Sporrer emphasizes the high qualification requirements and personal requirements that apply to the federal prosecutor.

prosecutors express criticism of the strict regulation