Introduction

The Legal Information System of the Republic of Austria (RIS) is a computer-assisted information system on Austrian law, which is coordinated and operated by the Austrian Federal Chancellery. The RIS starts 1983 when the essential features of the system were designed. After federal legislation had been incorporated, the inclusion of the court decisions was started.

In June 1997, the Federal Chancellery decided to make the RIS, which previously had been accessible only to the public administration, available on the Internet free of charge.

No liability is accepted for the correctness and completeness of the Legal Information System. Only the text of the regulations promulgated in the federal, state or other gazettes (printed version) are relevant apart from the legally binding Austrian Federal Law Gazette, which is electronicly published in the Austrian Legal Information System (since 2004).

The Austrian Legal Information System is exclusively a documentation of Austrian law. Any further legal advice cannot be given.

The applications are supplemented with a comprehensive collection of links to websites of Austrian federal and regional authorities, the EU and international organizations as well as to other Internet providers of legal data (select „list of links“)

A part of the Legal Information System offers you a selection of important Austrian laws in English translation (select „English“).

Contents of the Legal Information System

Category „Bundesrecht“ (= Federal Law)

• Bundesrecht (= Federal law consolidated version)

  This database covers Austrian federal law. Amendments are incorporated as soon as they are promulgated so that the database always contains the applicable version of a document (one document: 1 paragraph or 1 article or 1 annex). In addition to the applicable version, many norms also offer the opportunity to access previous versions, making it possible for the user to reconstruct the development of the regulation.

• Bundesgesetzblatt authentisch ab 2004 (= Authentic version of the Austrian Federal Law Gazettes since 2004)

  Since 2004 the legally binding Austrian Federal Law Gazette is only published in the Austrian Legal Information System.

• Bundesgesetzblatt 1945 – 2003 (= Austrian Federal Law Gazettes 1945 – 2003)

  This database contains all issues of the Federal Law Gazettes published from 1945 to 2003.

• Reichs-, Staats- und Bundesgesetzblatt 1848 – 1940 (= Law Gazettes 1848 – 1940)

  This database contains all issues of the Law Gazettes published from 1848 to 1940.

• Justizgesetzsammlung 1780 - 1848 (= Law Gazettes 1780 – 1848)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers the Law Gazettes from 1780 to 1848.

• Deutsches Reichsgesetzblatt 1919 - 1945 (= German Law Gazettes 1919 – 1945)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers the German Law Gazettes from 1919 to 1945.

• Begutachtungsentwürfe (= Draft bills)

  These database contains draft bills of Austrian ministries.

• Regierungsvorlagen (= Government bills)

  These database contains government bills of Austrian ministries.

Category „Landesrecht“ (= State Law)

• As a result of the cooperation with the offices of the State (regional) governments, you can find the law of the Austrian Provinces. The documents (one document = 1 paragraph or 1 article or 1 annex; exception: in the case of Styrian, Lower Austrian, Vorarlberg and Viennese law one document contains the applicable version of a complete law) are processed by the State governments and transmitted to the Federal Chancellery. Unlike in the case of federal law, not all States include their previous versions as well. The degree of availability varies from state to state.

• Aktuelles Landesgesetzblatt für Burgenland, Kärnten, Oberösterreich, Salzburg, Steiermark, Tirol und Vorarlberg (= Current State Law Gazettes of Burgenland, Carinthia, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol and Vorarlberg)

  As a result of the cooperation with the office of the State (regional) government, this database contains all issues of the State Law Gazettes of the following Austrian States:

  • Burgenland (since 2000)
  • Carinthia (since 2000)
  • Upper Austria (since 1947)
  • Salzburg (since 2001)
  • Styria (since 1989)
  • Tyrol (since 1995)
  • Vorarlberg (since 2001)

  The database is permanently updated.

• Aktuelles Landesgesetzblatt für Wien (= Current State Law Gazette of Vienna)

  There is a link to the Vienna City Administration which offers the State Law Gazettes.

• Landesgesetzblatt für Burgenland 1922 - 2000 (= State Law Gazettes of Burgenland 1922 - 2000)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers the State Law Gazettes of Burgenland from 1922 to 2000.

• Landesgesetzblatt für Kärnten 1863 - 1999 (= State Law Gazettes of Carinthia 1863 - 1999)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers the State Law Gazettes of Carinthia from 1863 to 1999.

• Landesgesetzblatt für das Land Niederösterreich 1849 - 1971 (= State Law Gazettes of Lower Austria 1849 - 1971)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers the State Law Gazettes of Lower Austria from 1849 to 1971.

• Landesgesetzblatt für Oberösterreich 1849 - 1995 (= State Law Gazettes of Upper Austria 1849 - 1995)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers the State Law Gazettes of Upper Austria from 1849 to 1995.

• Landesgesetzblatt für Salzburg 1850 - 2000 (= State Law Gazettes of Salzburg 1850 - 2000)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers the State Law Gazettes of Salzburg from 1850 to 2000.

• Landesgesetzblatt für die Steiermark 1850 - 1995 (= State Law Gazettes of Styria 1850 - 1995)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers the State Law Gazettes of Styria from 1850 to 1995.

• Landesgesetzblatt für Tirol 1848 - 1994 (= State Law Gazettes of Tyrol 1848 - 1994)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers the State Law Gazettes of Tyrol from 1848 to 1994.

• Landesgesetzblatt für Vorarlberg 1848 - 1985 (= State Law Gazettes of Vorarlberg 1848 - 1985)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers the State Law Gazettes of Vorarlberg from 1848 to 1985.

• Landesgesetzblatt für Wien 1920 - 1980 (= State Law Gazettes of Vienna 1920 - 1980)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers the State Law Gazettes of Vienna from 1920 to 1980.

Category „Gemeinderecht“ (= Municipal Law)

This database contains the law of some Austrian municipalities. You can find selected municipal law of following Austrian Provinces:

• Carinthia (all municipals)
• Lower Austria (only Wiener Neustadt)
• Styria (Graz, Hitzendorf)
• Vienna

Category „EU-Recht“ (= Law of the European Union)

There is a link to „EUR-Lex“ where you can find the EU law.

Category „Judikatur“ (= Judicature of the courts)

• Verfassungsgerichtshof (= Constitutional Court)

  This database contains the judicature of the Constitutional Court (nearly all rulings since 1980).

• Verwaltungsgerichtshof (= Administrative Court)

  This database covers the judicature of the Administrative Court and comprises nearly all its decisions since 1990. Substantial rulings are also available from previous years.

• Normenliste des VwGH (= The „norm list“ of the Administrative Court)

  This list of standardized, synonymous quotations of regulations is edited by the Administrative Court and is an index of admissible norm specifications in the form of abbreviations (by letter or short titles) for the judicature documentation of the Administrative Court. The abbreviations of state laws and EU regulations are also incorporated.

• Justiz - OGH, OLG, LG, BG, OPMS, AUSL (= Judicature of the Supreme Court, Regional Appeal Court and other courts)

  This database covers the judicature of the Supreme Court and other courts and comprises the decisions of civil and criminal law.

• Unabhängige Verwaltungssenate (= Independent Administrative Tribunals)

  This database contains the judicature of the nine Independent Administrative Tribunals (selected rulings since 1991).

• Unabhängiger Finanzsenat (= Independent Finance Tribunal)

  There is a link to the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance which offers the judicature of the Independent Finance Tribunal.

• Asylgerichtshof (= Court of Asylum)

  This database contains the judicature of the Court of Asylum (since July 2008).

• Unabhängiger Bundesasylsenat (= Independent Federal Asylum Board)

  This database contains the judicature of the Independent Federal Asylum Board (selected rulings since 1998).

• Umweltsenat (= Environmental Tribunal)

  This database contains the judicature of the Environmental Tribunal.

• Bundeskommunikationssenat (= Federal Communications Board)

  This database contains selected rulings of the Federal Communications Board.

• Vergabekontrollbehörden (= Procurement Review Authorities)

  This database contains the rulings of the Federal Public Procurement Review Authority, the Federal Public Procurement Arbitration Body and the Procurement Review Authorities of Salzburg and Vienna.

• Disziplinarkommissionen, Disziplinaroberkommission, Berufungskommission (= Disciplinary Commissions, Supreme Disciplinary Commission, and Appeals Tribunal)

  This database contains the judicature on disciplinary matters and matters pertaining to employee transfers in the Federal Government.

• Datenschutzkommission (= Data Protection Commission)

  This database contains the rulings of the Data Protection Commission.

• Personalvertretungs-Aufsichtskommission (= Supervisory Tribunal for Employees' Representation)

  This database contains the judicature on matters of employees' representation.

• Gleichbehandlungskommissionen (= Equal Treatment Commission)

  There is a link to a list of rulings of the Equal Treatment Commission.

• Entscheidungen des Obersten Gerichts- und Cassationshofes in Civil- und Strafsachen - in der Beilage zum Verordnungsblatt des Justizministeriums 1885 – 1897 (= Decisions of the Supreme Court 1885 – 1897)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers the decisions of the Supreme Court from 1885 to 1897.

• Sammlung der Erkenntnisse des österr. Reichsgerichts 1869 - 1918 (= Collection of the decisions of the Austrian Imperial Court 1869 – 1918)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers a collection of the decisions of the Austrian Imperial Court from 1869 to 1918.

• Sammlung der Erkenntnisse des österr. Verfassungsgerichtshofes 1919 - 1979 (= Collection of the decisions of the Austrian Constitutional Court 1919 - 1979)

  There is a link to the Austrian National Library which offers a collection of the decisions of the Austrian Constitutional Court from 1919 to 1979.

Category „Erlässe“ (= Decrees)

• Erlässe der Bundesministerien (= Decrees of the Federal Ministries)

  This database contains selected decrees (instruction edicts) of Austrian ministries.

• Erlässe des Bundesministeriums für Justiz (= Decrees of the Federal Ministry of Justice)

  This database contains selected decrees (instruction edicts) of the Austrian ministry of Justice.

• Richtlinien und Erlässe des Bundesministeriums für Finanzen (= Decrees of the Federal Ministry of Finance)

  There is a link to the Austrian Federal Ministry of Finance which offers their decrees.

Gesamtabfrage (= general search)

You can find search terms in all or selected RIS-applications.

Übersicht (= site map)

You can find a list of the RIS content.

Austrian laws in English

This database contains selected Austrian laws in English translation.

For further information of the system, please use the search manuals (in German).

If you have any questions, please contact:
v2a@bka.gv.at
Federal Chancellery of Austria, Vienna