Administrative Criminal Law

Administrative Criminal Law in Austria

Administrative offenses may arise in a wide range of areas. Proceedings are typically conducted before district administrative or specialized authorities and may subsequently be brought before administrative courts.

As a boutique law firm specializing in public law, RIHS advises and represents companies and individuals in administrative criminal matters, in particular in connection with:
– Foreign employment and social security law
– Commercial and economic regulatory law
– Construction and environmental law
– Traffic and education law

Administrative penalties can have significant consequences beyond the immediate proceedings. Final decisions may affect, for example, citizenship applications, commercial and professional licensing procedures, or public procurement proceedings.

For this reason, the prevention of administrative penalties—and, where necessary, their effective challenge—is of particular importance.
Defense in Administrative Penalty Proceeding
We represent you before the competent administrative authorities and administrative courts to protect your rights and to prevent or mitigate unjustified penalties.

Our services in
Administrative Criminal Law

Defense in Administrative Penalty Proceeding

We represent you before the competent administrative authorities and administrative courts to protect your rights and to prevent or mitigate unjustified penalties.

Appointment of Responsible Representatives: Under Austrian administrative criminal law, responsibility for compliance with administrative regulations generally lies with:

  • the owner (in the case of sole proprietorships), or
  • the persons authorized to represent a legal entity externally (e.g. managing directors, board members, or general partners)

This responsibility may be delegated to so-called responsible representatives. However, such delegation is only effective if strict legal requirements are met, including:
– proper appointment and notification
– sufficient authority to issue instructions
– explicit consent of the appointed individual
– adequate training and instruction

We regularly assist companies in appointing responsible representatives and ensure that these appointments are legally valid and withstand scrutiny by administrative penal authorities.


Typical Administrative Offenses in Austria

Administrative criminal law in Austria covers a wide range of violations of public law regulations. Common examples include:

  • Violations of the Foreign Nationals Employment Act
  • Violations of the Act on Combating Wage and Social Dumping
  • Failure to register employees with social security
  • Operating without a valid business license or exceeding its scope
  • Violations of the Working Hours Act
  • Non-compliance with reporting obligations under the Temporary Employment Act
  • Construction or use of buildings without the required permits
  • Violations of the Water Rights Act
  • Non-compliance with environmental regulations (e.g. under the Waste Management Act)
  • Driving without a valid driver’s license or violations of driver licensing regulations
  • Violations of traffic regulations
  • Violations of building regulations
  • Violations of compulsory education laws

This list is not exhaustive and serves only as an overview of typical administrative offenses.

We provide experienced and focused legal advice in all areas of administrative criminal law.

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