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The Geneva Conventions and their additional protocols, of which Switzerland is the depositary state, form the backbone of international humanitarian law. The conventions define the treatment of civilians and combatants in times of war and occupation. Henry Dunant, founder of the Swiss-run International Committee of the Red Cross, initiated the first convention in 1864. The…
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In Switzerland, the cantonal judicial authorities are competent to deal with most criminal proceedings. However, some categories of crime come under the jurisdiction of the federal prosecutor’s office. These crimes include causing explosions, counterfeiting, espionage, organised international crime and financial crime, money laundering, bribery, and offences committed by federal employees in the exercise of their…
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The Federal Police Office works with its international and cantonal partners as a centre for information, coordination and analysis in matters concerning the internal security of Switzerland. In Switzerland, the cantonal police forces are responsible for most criminal investigations. Since 2002, however, the office has been carrying out its own investigations in cases of serious…
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The Federal Insurance Court, based in Lucerne, was established in 1917. Its task is to hear appeals relating to social insurance. Initially, this body was only called on to hear appeals against cantonal decisions relating to mandatory accident insurance and military insurance. Subsequently, when new forms of social insurance were introduced, its powers were extended…
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A party of Protestant origins, the Federal Democratic Union was founded in 1975 by a breakaway group from the Protestant Party. Very conservative in outlook, its political programme is based squarely on the gospel. It first won a seat in the federal parliament in 1995 and a second in 2003. At the cantonal level it…
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The Federal Criminal Court is one of the two federal courts of first instance (the other is the Federal Administrative Court). They were set up as part of a reform of the legal system to lighten the ever-increasing load of the Federal Court in Lausanne. The Federal Criminal Court, based in Bellinzona, began its work…
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The Federal Court, based in Lausanne, was established in 1848, when Switzerland became a federal state. When the constitution was revised in 1874, the powers of the country’s highest court were considerably extended. The Federal Court is essentially an appeals tribunal, charged with overseeing the application of federal law. The court examines the interpretation of…
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The federal constitution of the Swiss confederation is the fundamental law of the country. It governs important basic and human rights, the rights of the confederation, cantons and communes, political rights and duties as well as the responsibilities and competencies of the federal authorities, parliament and government. The current constitution, which dates back to 1999,…
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The commission’s job is to ensure that competition rules are not abused, for example by cartels. It is supported by a full-time secretariat, based in Bern, which examines suspected cartels and makes investigations for the commission. The commission has 15 members who are elected by the government. Its activities are divided into three areas –…
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ComCom is the independent authority which regulates the telecommunications market in Switzerland. Established in 1997, it consists of seven members. ComCom’s tasks include issuing licences to telecommunications services operators and approving national plans for allocating frequencies and for the switch to digital technology. In the event of violations, it can revoke licences.
