Switzerland: Census
(Apr. 1, 2009) On January 20, 2009, Switzerland promulgated a Census Regulation that became effective on February 1 (Volkszählungsverordnung, Dec. 19, 2008, Amtliche Sammlung des Bundesrechts 241 (2009), available at http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/as/2009/index0_3.html (click on page 241)). The Census Regulation implements the Census Act of 2007 (Volkszählungsgesetz, June 22, 2007, Systematische Sammlung des Bundesrechts No. 431.112, available […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2009-04-01
Article
Switzerland: Forced Marriage
(Dec. 2, 2007) The Swiss Federal Council (the executive branch of the Swiss government) communicated to the Swiss parliament its concern over the high incidence of forced marriages among the immigrant population from Islamic countries and its intention to propose law reforms to forestall such abuses. Among the contemplated measures is the voidability, for an […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2007-12-02
Article
Switzerland: Swiss Voters Reject Popular Initiative on Sovereign Money
(June 12, 2018) On June 10, 2018, Swiss voters rejected by a vote of 75.7% to 24.3% the “Sovereign Money Initiative.” Voter turnout was 33.8%. (Vorlage Nr. 618. Vorläufige amtliche Endergebnisse. Volksinitiative vom 01.12.2015 “Für krisensicheres Geld: Geldschöpfung allein durch die Nationalbank! (Vollgeld-Initiative)” [Proposal No. 618, Preliminary Official Results: Popular Initiative of Dec. 1, 2015 “For Crisis-Proof Money: […]
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2018-06-12
Article
Switzerland: Child Allowance
(Feb. 2, 2008) On January 22, 2008, Switzerland promulgated the Federal Act on Family Allowances (AMTLICHE SAMMLUNG 131 (2008)). This law increases the paid allowances for children to a minimum of 200 Swiss Francs (about US$181) in all the cantons, and it introduces an educational allowance of at least 250 Swiss Francs (about US$226) per […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2008-02-02
Article
Switzerland: Arms Control
(Dec. 2, 2007) On November 14, 2007, the Swiss Commerce Department (Eidgenösasisches Volkswirtschaftsdepartment, EVD) announced that it suspended an export permit for 21 Swiss-produced anti-aircraft missile systems for Pakistan. The exports had been approved in December 2006 and six of the systems have already been delivered. The remainder of the exports, valued at approximately 98 […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2007-12-02
Article
Switzerland: Federal Archives
(Jan. 2, 2008) On December 28, 2007, the Federal Ministry of the Interior of Switzerland re-promulgated a list of federal archival material that is not being made available to the public 30 years after its creation but enjoys instead either a 50-year protective period or an indefinite period during which it cannot be made public […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2008-01-02
Article
Switzerland: Child Pornography
(Mar. 31, 2009) On February 3, 2009, Switzerland promulgated an amendment to the Constitution that abolishes any statutory limitation of actions for pornographic or sexual offenses committed against prepubescent children (Bundesbeschluss, June 13, 2008, Amtliche Sammlung 471 (2009), available at http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/as/2009/index0_5.html : yes”> (click on page 471)). The new provision is article 123b of the […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2009-03-31
Article
Switzerland: European Court of Human Rights Finds Swiss Police Guilty of Racial Profiling
On February 20, 2024, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) held unanimously that the Swiss police had discriminated on the basis of race when performing an identity check on the applicant at the Zurich railway station. Furthermore, the ECtHR found that no effective remedy had been available to the applicant in the Swiss domestic … Continue reading “Switzerland: European Court of Human Rights…
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2024-03-05
Article
Switzerland: Heavy Vehicle Tax
(May 2, 2008) On March 26, 2008, Switzerland promulgated amendments to the Heavy Vehicle Tax Act that enhance enforcement of the user fees imposed on heavy passenger cars and trucks and to the Heavy Vehicle Tax Regulation (Bundesgesetz, Oct. 5, 2007, AMTLICHE SAMMLUNG DES BUNDESRECHTS (AS) 765 (2008) & Verordnung, Mar. 7, 2008, AS 769 […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2008-05-02
Article
Switzerland: Crime Victim Compensation
(Apr. 2, 2008) On April 8, 2008, Switzerland promulgated an Act on Crime Victim Compensation (Opferhilfegesetz, Mar. 23, 2007, AMTLICHE SAMMLUNG (AS) 1607 (2008)) that will become effective on January 1, 2009. The Act replaces the former Crime Victim Compensation Act of October 4, 1991 (AS 2465 (1992)) and contains some reforms. In particular, the […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2008-04-02
Article
Switzerland: Flat Rate Tax
(Nov. 2, 2007) The Swiss Canton of Obwalden is in the process of introducing a flat rate tax on individual incomes, to be applied for the first time in the tax year 2008. The bill has passed the first reading in the cantonal parliament and has to pass another parliamentary reading and a referendum in […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2007-11-02
Article
Switzerland: Voters Reject Popular Initiative on Giving Swiss Constitution Explicit Precedence over International Law
(Dec. 17, 2018) On November 25, 2018, Swiss voters rejected by a vote of 66.2% to 33.8% a popular initiative known as the “Self-Determination Initiative.” Voter turnout was 47.7%. (Vorlage Nr. 624. Vorläufige amtliche Endergebnisse. Volksinitiative vom 12.08.2016 “Schweizer Recht statt fremde Richter (Selbstbestimmungsinitiative)” [Proposal No. 624, Preliminary Official Results: Popular Initiative of Aug. 12, 2016 “Swiss Law […]
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2018-12-17
Article
Switzerland: Information on Tax Evasion
(Dec. 4, 2009) On November 17, 2009, the Swiss Federal Authorities gave a progress report on the processing of U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requests for information on the suspected tax evasion by U.S. residents who had banked with UBS AG, a Swiss bank (The Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation, UBS: Treaty Process on […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2009-12-04
Article
Switzerland: Referendum Bans Minarets
(Dec. 4, 2009) On November 29, 2009, the Swiss people approved a popular initiative that inserts into the Federal Constitution a new article 72, paragraph 3, that states, “[t]he construction of minarets is prohibited.” (Eidgenössische Volksinitiative 'Gegen den Bau von Minaretten,' Nov. 30, 2009, at http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/pore/vi/vis353t.html.) Some 53.4% of the electorate voted on the initiative, […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2009-12-04
Article
Switzerland: Federal Procedural Laws Enacted
(Aug. 25, 2010) On January 1, 2011, several federal procedural laws will become effective in Switzerland. These will replace the corresponding laws of the 26 cantons as well as several federal enactments. These new federal laws are: the Swiss Code of Criminal Procedure (Schweizerische Strafprozessordnung), October 5, 2007 (AMTLICHE SAMMLUNG DES BUNDESRECHTS [AS] 1881 (2010) […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2010-08-25
Article
Switzerland: Exchange of Tax Information
(Sept. 3, 2010) On September 1, 2010, the Swiss Federal Council (Bundesrat, Federal Cabinet) adopted the Regulation on Administrative Assistance Accorded to Double Taxation Conventions (Amtshilfeverordnung [Administrative Assistance Regulation], advance copy, Federal Administration of the Swiss Federation website, http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/attachments/20252.pdf (last visited Sept. 1, 2010)). This Administrative Assistance Regulation provides the principles and procedures applicable to […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2010-09-03
Article
Switzerland: Sustainability Criteria for Biofuels
(Mar. 2, 2008) On January 30, 2008, Switzerland promulgated the Act Amending the Mineral Oil Tax Act (Mineralölsteuergesetz, Änderung, AMTLICHE SAMMLUNG (AS) 579) and the Act Amending the Mineral Oil Tax Regulation (Mineralölsteuerverordnung, Änderung, AS 583). (Federal Authorities of the Swiss Confederation official Web site http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/as/2008/index0_9.html (last visited Feb. 28, 2008).) These enactments have an […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2008-03-02
Article
Switzerland: European Court of Human Rights Finds Switzerland Failed to Implement Regulations to Combat Climate Change
On April 9, 2024, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) delivered a landmark decision, ruling that the Swiss Confederation had failed to comply with its duties under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) concerning climate change. It ruled that the Swiss state’s inactions violated article 8 (right to respect … Continue reading “Switzerland: European Court of Human Rights…
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2024-05-14
Article
Switzerland: Swiss Voters to Decide on Initiative for Democratic Control over War Material Exports
(Aug. 28, 2019) On July 16, 2019, the Swiss government announced that the popular initiative called the “Against Weapons-Exports to Regions Affected by Civil War (Correction-Initiative)” has achieved the required 100,000 signatures to be put to a vote. The initiative seeks to increase democratic control over the regulation of war material exports by inscribing the fundamental […]
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2019-08-28
Article
Switzerland: Burqa Ban Voted Down
(Oct. 1, 2012) On September 28, 2012, the National Council, the lower house of the Swiss Parliament, voted down, by a narrow margin, a proposal to ban the wearing of face-covering veils in public, including on public transportation. The 93-87 vote defeated a ban that would have applied to burqas, which are worn by some […]
Contributor:
Johnson, Constance
Date:2012-10-01
Article
Switzerland: Referendum on Executive Pay
(Mar. 27, 2013) On Sunday, March 3, 2013, the Swiss people voted for a popular initiative to limit executive pay. Voter participation was over 45%, and 68% of those voting supported the measure. (Volksabstimmung vom 3. März, 2013:08.080 «Gegen die Abzockerei» Volksinitiative [Popular Vote of March 2013, Popular Initiative Against Being “Ripped Off”], Die Bundesversammlung […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2013-03-27
Article
Switzerland: Military Conscription
(Oct. 5, 2011) On October 3, 2011, the Federal Commission for Childhood and Youth Issues (Eidgenössische Kommission für Kinder- und Jugendfragen (last visited Oct. 4, 2011)) published a report entitled A Service for the Public Welfare (Ein Dienst für das Gemeinwohl) (Oct. 2011)) in which it recommended replacing military conscription with a system that would […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2011-10-05
Article
Switzerland: Succession of Cabinet Members
(Mar. 31, 2009) On January 21, 2009, Switzerland promulgated a Reform Act to the Parliamentary Act (Bundesgesetz über die Bundesversammlung (Parlamentsgesetz) Änderung, Oct. 3, 2008, Amtliche Sammlung des Bundesrechts 725 (2009), available at http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/as/2009/index0_5.html (click on page 725)). The Act became law on January 22, after the referendum period had expired, and it became effective […]
Contributor:
Palmer, Edith
Date:2009-03-31
Article
Switzerland: Voters Reject Unconditional Basic Income
(June 6, 2016) On June 5, 2016, Swiss voters rejected by a vote of 76.9% to 23.1% the initiative “For an Unconditional Basic Income.” (Vorlage Nr. 601, Vorläufige amtliche Endergebnisse [Proposal No. 601, Preliminary Official Results], Schweizerische Bundeskanzlei [Swiss Federal Chancellery] website (June 5, 2016).) The initiative proposed to grant every person in Switzerland a certain amount […]
Contributor:
Gesley, Jenny
Date:2016-06-06
Article
Switzerland: Accelerated Nuclear Energy Exit Rejected
(Nov. 30, 2016) On November 27, 2016, Swiss voters rejected by a vote of 54.2% to 45.8% the Nuclear Energy Withdrawal Initiative. (Vorlage Nr. 608, Vorläufige amtliche Endergebnisse [Proposal No. 608, Preliminary Official Results], Swiss Federal Chancellery website (Nov. 27, 2016).) The initiative would have accelerated Switzerland’s exit from nuclear energy use, with three plants closing in 2017, […]
