At the heart of this is the novelty that no longer the minister but an independent three-person senate decides on instructions.
Unlike the VP, Zadic does not want to set up a permanent control committee in parliament. Because politicians should not be allowed to receive any information from ongoing criminal proceedings, for example where a house search will take place, argues the minister.
The top command is to move from the Minister of Justice to a (to be created) Attorney General, who will also head the General Prosecutor’s office. This person must meet the requirements for judicial office; the term of office ends, according to the proposal, at the age of 65.
Praise from the Neos
In order to guarantee “maximum independence”, the instructions themselves are not the responsibility of the Attorney General, but of the three-member Senate. Because it is about a two-thirds matter, Zadic announced talks with the opposition. Neos justice spokesman Hannes Margreiter praised the model. But first Zadic wants to convince the VP. She knows that “an even clearer separation of the judiciary and politics” is also important to the coalition partner.
Constitutional Minister Karoline Edtstadler (VP) announced a thorough examination. The planned federal prosecutor alone “represents a profound change in our constitution”. Cornelia Koller, President of the Association of Public Prosecutors, called for the rapid implementation of this “overdue last step towards a clear separation of criminal justice and politics”.
Source: Nachrichten
