Separation of powers - The legal structure of the Republic of Austria

The Austrian constitution is based on the principle of separation of powers. This means that administration is separate from the judiciary and the legislation (which is in the hands of the National Assembly and Federal Assembly at the federal level; and of provincial parliaments at the provincial level).

• General jurisdiction is a federal matter.
• Federal or provincial laws may, however, provide for cases in which appeals against administrative decisions are to be submitted directly to courts of general jurisdiction instead of filing a complaint with the administrative court.
• Despite the principle of separation of powers, legislative bodies can assume certain administrative tasks and have certain participation rights.
• It should also be noted that the "general representation bodies" operating at the municipal level, i.e. the municipal councils, are not considered legislative bodies.