Austrian judges and prosecutors plan week-long court shutdown to protest staffing crisis

Austrian judicial bodies intend a five-day work stoppage from 12 to 16 October, during which courts will not hold hearings, issue decisions or schedule appointments, aiming to spotlight a long-standing staffing shortage. Gernot Kanduth, president of the judges’ union, told APA that courts are overloaded, with district and state courts employing 1,478 judges against a requirement of roughly 1,700, and that comparable vacancies affect prosecutors.

He warned that without additional posts, judges face six-day workweeks and case backlogs that threaten the legal system’s functionality and the country’s economic attractiveness. The protest week will begin with a joint press conference of judges, prosecutors and the federal judges’ federation, followed by regional actions such as a silent minute in Vienna’s grand criminal court hall. Kanduth criticized the government for failing to add new judicial positions to the 2026/27 double budget despite earlier promises, and called for an initial creation of 100 new posts with a phased plan to reach full staffing within a few years.