Austrian court's approval for spy agency raid was illegal

Top Stories & Analysis

Judges in Austria say a lower court's authorization for police to raid the offices of the country's domestic intelligence agency was illegal.

The regional court in Vienna said Tuesday that the search of the BVT spy agency on Feb. 28 wasn't justified because the necessary information could have been obtained if police had simply asked for it. It also ruled that the search of three BVT employees' homes wasn't warranted, though a fourth was.

The raid, which was part of a probe into alleged misconduct by BVT staff, sparked a political storm earlier this year.

Opposition parties accused the government of attempting to purge political enemies. The Vienna court ruling didn't rule on whether evidence seized in the raid should be destroyed.

Related listings

  • Indian Supreme Court orders house arrest for activists

    Indian Supreme Court orders house arrest for activists

    Top Stories & Analysis 08/30/2018

    India's top court ordered Wednesday that five prominent rights activists arrested for alleged Maoist links be kept under house arrest instead of police custody until it rules next week on a petition challenging their detention.Police, meanwhile, brok...

  • Lawyers will seek to shift blame for warehouse fire at trial

    Lawyers will seek to shift blame for warehouse fire at trial

    Top Stories & Analysis 08/19/2018

    Lawyers for the two men charged in the Northern California warehouse fire that killed 36 people said Friday they are now preparing for a trial where they will try to shift blame for the blaze from their clients to others, including the building's own...

  • Rock icon Cliff Richard wins UK High Court privacy case

    Rock icon Cliff Richard wins UK High Court privacy case

    Top Stories & Analysis 07/19/2018

    British rock icon Cliff Richard has won his privacy case against the BBC for its coverage of a police raid at his home and has been awarded more than 200,000 ($260,000) in damages.Richard had sued the broadcaster for its coverage of the 2014 raid, wh...

New York Commercial Litigation Law Firm - Woods Lonergan PLLC

Founded in 1993 by Managing Partner James F. Woods, Woods Lonergan PLLC has built a strong reputation as a resourceful and industrious firm that provides clients with clear, concise, and straightforward answers to their most challenging legal issues. Partner Lawrence R. Lonergan, who joined the firm in 2008, has been a friend and colleague to Mr. Woods for over 40 years and shares the same business philosophy. Woods Lonergan PLLC’s collective experience and expertise enables the firm to expeditiously and effectively analyze the increasing challenges clients face in an evolving business and legal world, in many instances, avoiding unnecessary time and expense to our clients. Our mission is simple: provide cutting-edge expertise and sound advice in select areas of the law for corporate and business clients. We thrive on providing each client with personalized attention, forceful representation, and a collaborative team effort that embraces collective knowledge.