More and more cases

Automatically saved draft

The Vorarlberg courts are struggling with the rising number of cases, especially as the number of staff is stagnating. Any savings plans on the part of the federal government are therefore viewed very critically. 

The Vorarlberg judiciary cannot complain about a lack of work at the moment, quite the opposite: "Unfortunately, the number of cases is rising continuously in all major areas," says Angelika Prechtl-Marte, President of the Regional Court of Feldkirch. Specifically, civil criminal cases increased by almost 13 percent from 2023 to 2024, while the increase in criminal cases was over eight percent.

Proceedings in connection with company insolvencies have virtually exploded: "A poor economic situation is also reflected in the courts," summarizes the court president dryly. The country's five district courts also had significantly more work to do.

High work ethic
Last year alone, the number of executions rose to over 33,000, compared to almost 800 fewer in the previous year. Prechtl-Marte also complains that the overall complexity of the proceedings is increasing: "Everything has become much faster, and in some cases more international, plus there is more work due to the change in the regulations for securing data carriers."

The digital file, which is to be implemented across the board by the end of 2025, is a great relief, but also leads lawyers to longer and more attachments. The fact that the proceedings at the Vorarlberg courts are nevertheless completed comparatively quickly is primarily due to the high work ethic of the employees.

Although all 63 posts are currently fully occupied ("This has not been the case for a long time"), those responsible would like to see additional staff. On the other hand, the kind of cutbacks that are on the table due to the notoriously poor budget situation are "absolutely unthinkable", as court spokesman Dietmar Nußbaumer emphasizes. In this context, he pointed out that a functioning judiciary and short proceedings ultimately also mean a locational advantage for the economy.