Austrian justice neutralised by corruption

Published on 13 August 2010 at 10:33

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The revelation of the hidden financial holdings of former right-wing populist leader, the late Jörg Haider, has brought to light the extent of corruption in Austrian politics, as well as "the impotence of justice officials" to bring the accused to trial, notes the title story of Falter. The magazine investigates the reasons behind this failure, blaming a judicial system inherited from the monarchy: the six anti-corruption prosecutors (six for the entire country) lack economic expertise, are poorly paid, and have absolutely no political support. Added into the mix are a cruel lack of proper funding (as opposed to the case of Scotland, where dirty money goes back into justice coffers); the fact that trials are held in secret, depriving the media of access to current cases; not to mention the lack of legal and political protection that face whistleblowers.

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