Criminal law

Ride young! Grandma on a motorbike My grandma is 66 and still in great shape. I'm about to start training for my motorbike licence and I'd really like her to take the course and the test with me. Would she still be able to get the licence at her age and if so, would it be...

Drinking and riding a bike or a scooter "Having read in the papers that people who had been drinking on their scooters had lost their licences in Germany, I was wondering whether the same might apply here, whether on a scooter or a bike? Elisabeth, Geneva In Switzerland, it's the...

A hectic evening on the way home "Drunk after a party, my 23-year-old daughter ordered a taxi home. During the journey, she threw up in the vehicle. Even though I had cleaned the car, the taxi driver demanded CHF 500 and wanted to lodge a complaint. What exactly is she exposed to? "Well, Geneva Souiller...

Parental liability in the event of injury The world of Julie readers is a small one... The fact that your son has been injured unquestionably constitutes a wrongful act within the meaning of Article 41 of the Swiss Code of Obligations (CO), which we examined in these columns last week.Article 46 of the CO stipulates that in the event of...

Respect the right of way and don't drive in circles I'm really fed up with these cars which, under the pretext of having the right of way, rush into roundabouts without giving others time to enter normally. What exactly does the law say about this? Vaud The...

I've just bought a magnificent car and I briefly accelerated above the speed limit on the motorway for just a few seconds, while the road was perfectly clear and with full visibility. Unfortunately, I think I was flashed just as...

Who will compensate the victim? "In the Marina case (see Tribune de Genève, 10 December 2011), in which a young student was shot in the head, the accused was ordered to pay the plaintiff CHF 147,000 in compensation. Who will have to pay this compensation if the convicted person has no means of support?" Richard,...

Who has the right to go out armed? "I'd like to know whether Switzerland has the same right to carry firearms on the streets as the United States. Tania, La Plaine The issue of firearms regularly hits the headlines in Switzerland. On 13 February 2011, the Swiss people rejected a referendum on...

Who has the right of way on a mountain road? "I read your article of 7 March 2016 on the internet about a problem of priority on the road. I'd like to ask you a question that's been bothering me: I frequently drive along a narrow mountain road where it's rare for two vehicles to be able to get...