Schnellgericht (Austria)

Schnellgericht is a term commonly used in Austria from the field of security authorities .

Areas of application and working method

In the past, mobile fast courts in Austria were mainly used to punish traffic offenses during the main travel times in the 1970s and 1980s on the guest worker route.

Nowadays quick judges are z. B. to punish violations of prostitution laws - but also in the motor vehicle sector.

These quick courts are usually held in police vehicles . A criminal officer or police lawyer from the security authority responsible for the scene of the crime acts as a judge. The latter can carry out the administrative criminal proceedings on the spot and issue a penal order.

Intended use

High-speed courts were used to punish violations of administrative regulations, which can no longer be punished by an organ penal order due to the severity of the offense or this possibility is not provided at all and must therefore be reported.

Since there was previously no intergovernmental agreement for the collection of these fines, in addition to organ penal orders, the express court was the only way to effectively impose an administrative penalty on a foreign driver who has committed an administrative offense under the Motor Vehicle Act (KfG).

For domestic drivers, these express courts should have a deterrent effect, the fines imposed were usually considerably higher than was usual in normal administrative criminal proceedings.

The use of a mobile express court was also seen as a suitable measure to reduce the blatantly high number of accidents. The use of these quick meals was regularly announced in the daily newspapers before the main travel times.

Penal system

These rapid administrative penalty procedures were formerly adjacent to criminal speakers, law enforcement officers also always an Austrian and the accused bank officials present, even in foreign to the payment of fines imposed currency to make possible. The fines imposed by express courts had to be paid on the spot by foreign road users.

If the penalty is paid immediately, quick judges can collect up to 360 euros. If payment is not made and a report is issued, a fine of up to 1,000 euros can be expected.

Web links

Daily newspaper "Der Standard" from June 28th 2010, article "Strict control of streets"

References

Jump up judges punished 572 traffic offenders ORF on July 13, 2007, accessed on April 16, 2013

[1] Jump up judges punished 572 traffic offenders ORF on July 13, 2007, accessed on April 16, 2013