In Austria, court recognizes Sharia norms in dispute between Muslims

Chancellor of Austria Christian Stocker. Photo: NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP

On January 13, 2026, Austria's ruling party – the Austrian People's Party (ÖVP) – announced the need for a legislative ban on the use of Sharia law in courts following a Vienna court decision that allowed the application of religious norms in a civil dispute. This was reported by The European Conservative.

The matter concerns a verdict by the Vienna Regional Civil Court, which authorized the enforcement of a private Islamic arbitration decision. Two Muslims had previously agreed to resolve financial disputes based on Sharia norms, and the court allowed the state to collect the awarded amount.

Federal Chancellor and ÖVP leader Christian Stocker stated that Austria cannot recognize religious legal systems even partially, and called for legislative changes to be introduced in parliament as soon as possible to exclude such practices.

Lawyers and politicians warn that recognizing and enforcing such decisions creates a dangerous precedent and could open the way for applying religious norms in civil law. The ÖVP emphasized that they intend to achieve a complete ban on the use of Sharia rules in the country's judicial practice.

Earlier, the UOJ wrote that Germany called for mass deportations of Syrians in 2026.

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