Internal investigations and the principle nemo tenetur se ipsum accusare – The Austrian perspective

Authors

  • Richard Soyer rofessor of Criminal Law, Dr. iuris, Johannes Kepler University (JKU) Linz (www.jku.at) and Attorney in Vienna, Austria

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46941/2023.e2.4

Keywords:

internal investigations, principle nemo tenetur se ipsum accusare, European Convention on Human Rights

Abstract

There is no general one but there are limited specific obligations in Austria to carry out Internal Investigations. The Austrian Constitutional Court clarified in a ruling 2016 inter alia that the principles of Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights concerning procedural guarantees apply to corporations as well. Yet, it has been accepted also before that the nemo tenetur principle also applies to legal persons. However, disputed questions still exist.

References

Birklbauer, A., Wess, N (2020) ‘Introduction’, Birklbauer A., Haumer R., Nimmervoll R., Wess N. (eds). Linzer Kommentar zur Strafprozessordnung, Verlag Österreich, pp. 7-11.

Pilnacek, C., Pleischl W (2005) Das neue Vorverfahren. Vienna: Manz Verlag.

Pollak, S. (2020) ‘Internal Investigations‘, Soyer, R. (ed.) Handbuch Unternehmensstrafrecht, Vienna: Manz Verlag, pp. 14-10.

Schumann, S., Soyer, R. (2019) ‘The role of corporate criminal compliance for the protection of public financial interests’, Farkas, Á., Dannecker, G., Jacsó, J. (eds.) Criminal law aspects of the protection of public financial interests of the European Union, Budapest: Wolters Kluwer, 403. p.

Soyer, R. (2019) ‘The right to a fair trial. The European multilevel approach to criminal justice in Austria’, Miskolci Jogi Szemle, 2/2019, p. 385.

Soyer, R. (2019) ‘Verteidigung von Unternehmen‘ Kier, R., Wess, N. (eds.) Handbuch Strafverteidigung, 2nd edition, Vienna: Manz Verlag, Art. 152.

Soyer, R., Stuefer, A. (2021) ‘Kommentierung des § 48 stopp‘, Fuchs, H., Ratz, E. (eds.) Wiener Kommentar zur Strafprozessordnung, Vienna: Manz Verlag, p. 7.

Urbanek, J. (2022) ‘Verbandsverantwortlichkeit: Die Strafbarkeit von Unternehmen und Verbänden in Österreich – ein Erfolgsmodell?‘ Kert, R., Kodek, G. (eds.) Das große Handbuch Wirtschaftsstrafrecht, 2nd edition, Vienna: Manz Verlag, pp. 2.155-2.157.

Zentrale Staatsanwaltschaft zur Verfolgung von Wirtschaftsstrafsachen und Korruption – WKStA) (Zentrale Staatsanwaltschaft zur Verfolgung von Wirtschaftsstrafsachen und Korruption [Online]. Available at: https://www.justiz.gv.at/wksta/wirtschafts-und-korruptionsstaatsanwaltschaft.312.de.html (Accessed: 23 July 2022).

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Published

2023-12-29

How to Cite

Soyer , R. (2023). Internal investigations and the principle nemo tenetur se ipsum accusare – The Austrian perspective. European Integration Studies, 19(2). https://doi.org/10.46941/2023.e2.4

Issue

Section

Articles - Section I.