Amnestie#

Amnesty, general pardon of groups of offenders or convicted persons in respect of punishment imposed by the courts (or in exceptional cases the fiscal authorities) by authority of a law passed by the National Council. By contrast, individual Pardons are granted by the Federal President. Apart from the customary Christmas amnesties, amnesties have been granted in the Second Republic on a number of occasions, usually in consideration of special political situations, such as the Liberation Amnesty in 1946/47, an amnesty of pillagers in 1950, an amnesty on the occasion of the conclusion of the State Treaty with the Allied Powers in 1955, an amnesty of National Socialists in 1957, the amnesty of 1985 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the State Treaty, and a tax amnesty granted in the wake of the 1992 tax reform.

Literature#