Man Did Not Understand a Word: Trial at Vienna Regional Court Postponed Due to Construction Noise

From the perspective of Vice President Christina Salzborn, who led the trial, it would not have been justifiable to the jurors to continue the proceedings. "At times, you couldn't understand your own words. A fair trial was not guaranteed in this way," said defense attorney Anita Schattner to the APA.

Interrogations and witness statements drowned out by construction noise

For months, proceedings in the Grauen Haus have been accompanied by an often unbearable noise level. Especially in those rooms facing the adjacent correctional facility (JA), there are regular occurrences of persistent, high-decibel drilling and chiseling work. Interrogations of the accused, witness statements, and the presentations of the prosecution and defense are sometimes drowned out by the noise. Particularly for clerks who have to record the proceedings, the nerve-wracking background noise poses a significant challenge.

Renovations during ongoing operations since fall 2023

The regional court and the JA Josefstadt have been undergoing renovations during ongoing operations since fall 2023. Over 110 individual measures are planned in eight construction phases. In the courthouse, the main focus is on renovating the courtrooms, offices, and sanitary facilities. The former canteen is to be converted into offices, and a new service center is to be established. In the JA correctional facility, large detention rooms are being transformed into smaller, more modern detention rooms, which should sustainably improve detention conditions. The special hospital is being renovated, and a modern security center is being newly constructed. The completion of the Justice Center for Criminal Matters Vienna is expected by 2032.

Major construction site causes multiple problems at the Vienna Regional Court

From the perspective of the staff working at the judicial authorities located in the Grauen Haus, but especially for the justice-seeking public, the largest court in the country is currently not presenting itself in the best light, aside from noise developments caused by the construction site. Since the closure of the buffet, which fell victim to the major construction site, there are no suitable facilities to bridge waiting times. In the publicly accessible area of the court, there is not a single coffee or beverage vending machine anymore. Since the end of 2024, the wing with the courtrooms can only be accessed via the entrance on Wickenburggasse - the queues at the security check in the entrance area have since then sometimes extended to the sidewalk during morning peak times.

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.