Criminal law

Private defence and criminal procedure As explained in these columns, criminal procedure at federal level is governed by the Swiss Code of Criminal Procedure (CCP): when a person is questioned by the police or the Public Prosecutor's Office, it is important to know in what capacity he or she is being questioned, as this will give rise to...

Honour and defamation "I would like to know whether honour is still protected by the law. It has been reported to me that someone knowingly spoke disparagingly of me this summer, claiming in particular that I had committed various offences, which is not in fact the case. I have the impression that these days the...

The state of lawful necessity" There has been a lot of press coverage of this ruling on the occupation of a Crédit Suisse branch by climate activists. I was astonished to read that the defendants were acquitted by the court on the grounds of "lawful necessity". What conditions must be met...

The opposing lawyer lied! "In a civil law dispute, I believe that the opposing lawyer lied to get his way. Can I take direct action against this lawyer because, in order to satisfy his client, he did not present the facts to the judge in an honest manner?

Parking in a white space: can you be fined? I parked in a white space while waiting for my wife to finish shopping. No more than five minutes after my arrival, an agent from the car park foundation demanded that I take a ticket, threatening to fine me if I didn't comply...

I'm passionate about guns I'm passionate about guns, particularly collectors' guns, and I own a piece of land in the Geneva countryside far from any habitation. I would like to point out that I hold the necessary permits to possess these weapons and am trained to handle them. Would it be possible for me to practise shooting on the aforementioned land?

I refuse to testify Testimony is an essential piece of evidence in criminal and civil proceedings, and witnesses have a fundamental obligation to answer questions truthfully. If they give false evidence, they could be liable to a fine or even a prison sentence...

I should have taken a taxi! I was checked on a bus without a ticket and fined, which I paid immediately, but now I'm getting another penalty notice! I'm shocked to be punished twice and I don't understand why public transport enjoys such a privilege......

I received a badly-written penalty notice " I received a fine for speeding in the canton of Geneva. The ticket does not indicate the make of the vehicle, only its registration number. What's more, the letter is addressed to Mrs instead of Mr. Is this grounds for a complaint? Is this grounds for a complaint? Jacques, Geneva Breaking the rules...