Timeline of the Registration Proceedings
- On 30 December 2019, we submitted our application for registration to the Office for Religious Affairs (Kultusamt), thus formally commencing our registration process.
- On 30 April 2020, the Office for Religious Affairs informed us about the extension of deadlines due to COVID-19 and the foreseeable next steps.
- On 15 May 2020, the Office for Religious Affairs sent us supplementary questions, which we answered on 28 May 2020.
- The Office for Religious Affairs then commissioned an official expert opinion, which was handed over to us in the premises of the Office for Religious Affairs on 24 July 2020, in the presence of the official expert. We responded to this expert opinion on 14 August 2020 and enclosed our response with an initial academic statement from a university professor of religious studies.
- On 23 October 2020, the Office for Religious Affairs rendered a decision on our registration application and issued a rejection. This rejection decision was delivered to us on 3 November 2020.
- On 1 December 2020, we lodged an appeal (Bescheidbeschwerde) against this rejection decision of the Office for Religious Affairs. Attached to this appeal was a second, more comprehensive academic statement from a university professor of religious studies.
- On 14 January 2021, the Office for Religious Affairs forwarded our appeal to the competent Administrative Court of Vienna (VGW).
- On 3 May 2021, the VGW commissioned a court expert opinion.
- On 12 May 2022, a court hearing took place before the VGW.
- On 1 June 2022, the VGW issued a rejecting decision (abweisendes VGW-Erkenntnis).
- On 22 December 2022, we, through our legal representatives Mag. Georg Bürstmayr and Mag. Ralf Niederhammer (attorneys in cooperation), filed a complaint (Beschwerde) with the Constitutional Court (VfGH) against this rejecting decision.
- On 28 February 2023, the Constitutional Court declined to deal with this complaint.
- Subsequently, through our legal representatives Mag. Georg Bürstmayr and Mag. Ralf Niederhammer (attorneys in cooperation), we submitted a transfer request to bring the case before the Supreme Administrative Court (VwGH). This transfer request was granted by the Constitutional Court in a decision dated 27 March 2023.
- On 28 April 2023, through our legal representatives Mag. Georg Bürstmayr and Mag. Ralf Niederhammer (attorneys in cooperation), we submitted an extraordinary appeal to the Supreme Administrative Court.
- On 14 December 2023, the Supreme Administrative Court initiated preliminary proceedings.
- On 26 January 2024, the Office for Religious Affairs submitted its response (Revisionsbeantwortung) to the Supreme Administrative Court.
- We are currently awaiting the Supreme Administrative Court’s decision with great curiosity and confidence.
This post is also available in:
Deutsch (German)