Court: dashcam footage may not be used as evidence
Switzerland’s Federal Court has overturned a car driver’s conviction which was based on a video from a dashboard camera.
This content was published on
1 minute
Keystone-SDA/ts
In a decision published on ThursdayExternal link, the Federal Court upheld the driver’s appeal and overturned the sentencing of the woman who had received a conditional penalty and a fine of CHF4,000 ($4,030) for “multiple, sometimes gross, violations of traffic regulations”.
A district court in Bülach, canton Zurich, had sentenced the woman in 2018 and the Zurich High Court had upheld the sentence.
The evidence for the conviction was a video recording from a camera mounted on the dashboard of a driver who had been harassed and then overtaken by the woman. The man reported the woman to the police.
The Federal Court in Lausanne concluded that the recording may not be used as evidence. In its considerations, it stated that the recording had been obtained unlawfully in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act.
“Since it is hard for other road users to see that recordings are being made from a vehicle, this is to be considered secret data processing […] which represents the violation of personal rights,” it said.
More
More
Body cameras appear on police radar
This content was published on
Body cameras worn by police officers: technological progress that helps serve justice or an infringement of one’s civil rights?
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Body cam scheme started on Swiss trains
This content was published on
Two shoulder cameras were in operation on Monday in both stations. The Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner agreed to their use. The aim is not only to increase security for transport police, but also to use the images for evidence. Police who are equipped with cameras must be clearly identifiable, and they must inform…
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.