Ministry of Justice mandates new degree program for judicial guard executives in Graz

The Federal Minister of Justice, Sporrer, has reorganized the basic training for the executive service of employment group E1 within the justice department. The Basic Training Ordinance E1-BMJ was published on October 27, 2026, in the Federal Law Gazette for the Republic of Austria (Part II, No. 310/2026) and comes into force on November 1, 2026. Consequently, managers of the Justice Guard will henceforth undergo a 36-month course of study with 180 ECTS at the University of Graz.

The legal basis for the ordinance is §§ 23 to 31 and 144 of the Civil Servants’ Employment Act 1979 (BDG 1979), BGBl. No. 333/1979, most recently amended by the Federal Act BGBl. I No. 22/2026. In terms of content, according to § 2, trainees are to be “trained as senior Justice Guard employees through the teaching of scientific methods while simultaneously emphasizing practical orientation.” The curriculum of the degree program “Law, Economics, Society in Digital Change” with a focus on “Security and Penal Execution” at the University of Graz forms an integral part of the ordinance.

36 Months and 180 ECTS at the University of Graz

According to § 6, the theoretical content is to be delivered in the form of a degree program that should not exceed a total duration of 36 months (six academic semesters) and corresponds to a workload of 180 ECTS. Parts of this may be structured modularly as well as conducted in a hybrid format and via e-learning; study-free periods serve for on-the-job training and introduction to possible future assignments. During basic training, there shall be no official assignment to regular or supporting service duties in the home institution.

The management of the courses lies with the Federal Ministry of Justice, which may utilize the Penal Execution Academy as the central educational institution for penal and corrective execution for direct implementation. An individual written training plan must be established for every trainee. Practical periods should, as far as possible, be completed in all forms of execution, whereby the following types of institutions must be attended:

• Penal institutions
• Judicial prisons
• Forensic therapeutic centers

After each assignment, the institution management shall submit a detailed report on the achievement of the training objectives; a training interview is to be conducted at the beginning and end of each training station.

Selection Process with Technical, Physical, and Psychological Components

Admission depends, in addition to the requirements of Z 8.16 of Annex 1 to the BDG 1979, on the result of a multi-phase selection process conducted by the Federal Ministry of Justice, in which previous service must also be taken into account. The selection tests are divided into a technical part, a physical part (fitness and motor skills), and a psychological aptitude part. If the number of applications exceeds the available places, the score achieved shall decide; in the event of a tie, ranking is carried out with due regard to §§ 11c and 11d of the Federal Equal Treatment Act and the Women’s Promotion Plan for the Justice Department (BGBl. II No. 31/2024), otherwise according to the longer actual length of service. A passed selection test is only valid for the respective course.

The required practical experience must have been completed in a correctional facility or another organizational unit of the penal system; in justified exceptional cases, other experience may be recognized. Anyone who is prevented from participating due to an employment ban under the Maternity Protection Act 1979, due to parental leave, part-time employment, or a reduction in weekly working hours, shall be admitted again to the immediately following course. Subject to economic, spatial, and capacity requirements, employees of other territorial authorities may also participate.

Bachelor’s Thesis, Interim Conference, and Service Examination

Trainees must write a bachelor’s thesis according to the specifications of the University of Graz, the topic of which should, as far as possible, be of significant importance to the administration of penal and corrective measures. An interim conference must be convened no later than halfway through the training period, in which the continuation or exclusion from the program is discussed. Exclusion is mandatory if personal or professional suitability is no longer present or if the training objective appears unattainable.

Completion must be proven by the degree program and the service examination. The oral final examination is taken before an examination senate consisting of three members, during which the final thesis must be presented, and modules F.3 and G.3 as well as the examination subjects of Annex 2 must be taken into account. A failed examination may be repeated twice; the repetition period is at least four weeks and at most three months. The Examination Commission is formed by the Minister, and its chairperson is appointed for five years; the examination certificate may state that the exam was passed “with distinction.”

Shorter Training for Lateral Entrants from the Ministry of the Interior

Employees of usage group E1 of the Federal Ministry of the Interior who are to be appointed to a position in the executive service within the justice sector must complete an internal training course of at least six months in accordance with § 15. This may be omitted if the basic training has already been successfully completed under the new regulation. The effectiveness of the training must be verified and documented by an external educational provider after each course.

Upon entry into force, the regulation BGBl. II No. 64/2007, last amended by BGBl. II No. 164/2015, shall cease to be in effect. Basic training already successfully completed shall be considered basic training within the meaning of the new regulation; completed periods of practical experience are creditable. Training started before November 1, 2026, may be carried out according to the new provisions, provided this appears expedient for achieving the training objective; otherwise, they are to be completed according to the previously applicable regulations.

For the readers, the regulation means a significantly longer and academically grounded qualification: anyone aspiring to a leadership position in criminal and correctional enforcement must in future complete a full bachelor’s degree, a multi-stage selection process, and a board examination. The training is thus formally anchored at a university for the first time, while the practice in correctional facilities and the support provided by the Prison Service Academy are maintained.

Source: Federal Law Gazette for the Republic of Austria, Part II, No. 310/2026, issued on October 27, 2026, pp. 1–5 (official reference: BGBl. II No. 310/2026).