View source for Swiss Federal Constitution

{{Short description|Constitution of the Swiss Confederation}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2016}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox constitution
|document_name=Swiss Federal Constitution
|jurisdiction=[[Switzerland]]
|executive=[[Swiss Federal Council|Federal Council]]
|system=[[Federalism|Federal]] [[assembly-independent]]<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Shugart |first=Matthew Søberg |date=December 2005 |title=Semi-Presidential Systems: Dual Executive And Mixed Authority Patterns |journal=French Politics |volume=3 |issue=3 |pages=323–351 |doi=10.1057/palgrave.fp.8200087 |s2cid=73642272|doi-access=free }}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Elgie |first=Robert |date=2016 |title=Government Systems, Party Politics, and Institutional Engineering in the Round |journal=Insight Turkey |volume=18 |issue=4 |pages=79–92 |issn=1302-177X |jstor=26300453}}</ref> [[Directorial system|directorial]] [[republic]] under a [[semi-direct democracy]]
|branches=Three
|date_effective=1 January 2000
|Image=Bundesverfassung Schweiz, auf blauen Untergrund.jpg <!--Constitution_suisse_version_française.jpg-->
|caption=Cover of the German version <!--Cover of the French version-->
|chambers=Two (upper: [[Council of States (Switzerland)|Council of States]]; lower: [[National Council (Switzerland)|National Council]])
|courts=[[Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland|Federal Supreme Court]]
|supersedes=Federal Constitution of 1874
|federalism=Yes
|title_orig=Bundesverfassung der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft, Constitution fédérale de la Confédération suisse, Costituzione federale della Confederazione Svizzera, Constituziun federala da la Confederaziun svizra}}
{{Politics of Switzerland}}
[[File:Zentralbibliothek Zürich - Gedenkblatt zum 19 April 1874 - 000005293.jpg|thumb|Memorial page to mark the revision of the federal constitution of 1874, featuring the motto "''[[Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno#Traditional motto of Switzerland|Einer für alle, alle für einen]]''" ("One for all, all for one").]]

The '''Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation''' ('''SR 10'''; {{langx|de|Bundesverfassung der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft}} ('''BV'''); {{langx|fr|Constitution fédérale de la Confédération suisse}} ('''Cst.'''); {{langx|it|Costituzione federale della Confederazione Svizzera}} ('''Cost.'''); {{langx|rm|{{Audio|Roh-Constituziun federala da la Confederaziun svizra.ogg|Constituziun federala da la Confederaziun svizra}}}})<ref name=SR10>{{cite web |url=https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/10.html |title=SR 10 Bundesverfassung |type=official website |date=10 September 2016 |language=de, fr, it |location=Berne, Switzerland |access-date=14 September 2016}}</ref> of 18 April 1999 ('''SR 101''')<ref name=SR101>{{cite web |url=https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html |title=SR 101 Bundesverfassung der Schweizerischen Eidgenossenschaft|type=official website |date=1 January 2016 |language=de, fr, it |location=Berne, Switzerland |access-date=14 September 2016 |quote=English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.}}</ref> is the third and current federal [[constitution]] of [[Switzerland]]. 

It establishes the Swiss Confederation as a [[federal republic]] of 26 [[Cantons of Switzerland|cantons]] (states). The document contains a catalogue of [[individual and group rights|individual and popular rights]] (including the right to call for [[Referendum|popular referendums]] on federal laws and [[constitutional amendment]]s), delineates the responsibilities of the cantons and the Confederation and establishes the federal authorities of government.

The Constitution was adopted by a [[1999 Swiss referendums|referendum on 18 April 1999]], in which a majority of the people and the cantons voted in favour. It replaced the prior federal constitution of 1874, which it was intended to bring up to date without changing its substance.

==History==
{{Further|Switzerland as a federal state}}
{{See also|History of Switzerland}}

Prior to 1798, the [[Old Swiss Confederacy|Swiss Confederacy]] was a [[confederation]] of independent states, not a federal state; as such it was based on treaties rather than a constitution. The [[Helvetic Republic]] of 1798&ndash;1803 had a constitution largely drawn up by [[Peter Ochs]], in 1803 replaced by the [[Act of Mediation]], which was in turn replaced by the [[Federal Treaty]] of 1815, which [[Restoration and Regeneration in Switzerland#Restoration|restored]] the Confederacy, while the individual cantons drew up cantonal constitutions, in most respects based on the ''[[Ancien Régime]] '' 
of the [[Early Modern Switzerland|18th century]], but with notable liberal innovations in the constitutions of the new cantons of [[canton of St. Gallen|St. Gallen]], [[Aargau]], [[Thurgau]], [[Ticino]], [[Vaud]] and [[canton of Geneva|Geneva]]. The new cantonal constitutions in many cases served as precedents for the later federal constitution.<ref>{{HDS|10234|Kantonsverfassungen|author=A. Kölz|date=2014}}
<!--relevant quote:
"Zu Beginn der Restauration (1815-30) erliessen die Kantone neue Verfassungen, die sich z.T. stark an die Verfassungstraditionen des Ancien Régime anlehnten." [...] "Viele verfassungsrechtl. Neuerungen wurden zuerst in den Kantonen eingeführt und dort gewissermassen getestet, bevor sie schliesslich auch auf Bundesebene verwirklicht wurden." -->
</ref>

Following the French [[July Revolution]] in 1830, a number of large assemblies were held calling for new cantonal constitutions.<ref name=HDS_Volkstage>{{HDS|41665|Volkstage}}</ref> 
The modifications to the cantonal constitutions made during this period of "[[Restoration and Regeneration in Switzerland#Regeneration|Regeneration]]" remains the basis of the current-day cantonal constitutions. Vaud introduced the legislative [[popular initiative]] in 1846. Berne introduced the legislative [[optional referendum]] in the same year.<ref>{{HDS|10234|Kantonsverfassungen|author=A. Kölz|date=2014}}
<!--relevant quote:
"Die staatsrechtl. Grundlagen, die in der Regeneration geschaffen wurden, prägen die kant. Verfassungen und die polit. Systeme bis heute. " -->
</ref>

The political crisis of the Regeneration period culminated in the [[Sonderbund War]] of November 1847.
As a result of the Sonderbund War, Switzerland was transformed into a [[Switzerland as a federal state|federal state]], with a constitution promulgated on 12 September 1848. This constitution provided for the cantons' sovereignty, as long as this did not impinge on the Federal Constitution.  
The creation of a [[bicameral]] assembly was consciously inspired by the [[United States Constitution]], 
the [[National Council (Switzerland)|National Council]] and [[Council of States (Switzerland)|Council of States]] corresponding to the [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and [[United States Senate|Senate]], respectively.<ref>Kley (2011): "Das Parlament wurde als Folge eines Kompromisses zwischen Zentralisten und Föderalisten nach amerikan. Vorbild als Zweikammersystem ausgestaltet"</ref>

In a partial revision of 1891, the  "[[right of initiative]]" was introduced, under which a certain number of voters could make a request to amend a constitutional article, or even to introduce a new article into the constitution. This mechanism is called [[federal popular initiative]]. Thus, partial revisions of the constitution could – from this time onward – be made at any time.<ref>{{Cite web |last=SFA |first=Swiss Federal Archives |title=The Swiss state and its citizens after 1848 |url=https://www.bar.admin.ch/bar/en/home/recherche/recherchetipps/themen-a-z/die-moderne-schweiz/schweizer-staat-und-volk-nach-1848.html |access-date=2024-04-24 |website=www.bar.admin.ch |language=en}}</ref>

Twelve such changes were made in the period of 1893 to 1994 (with no changes during the thirty-year period of 1950&ndash;1980):<ref name=initiatives>[https://www.bk.admin.ch/ch/d/pore/vi/vis_2_2_5_8.html bk.admin.ch]</ref>
*20 August 1893: prohibition of [[schechita]] without anesthetization
*5 July 1908: prohibition of [[absinthe]]
*13 October 1918: [[proportional representation]] in the [[National Council (Switzerland)|Swiss National Council]]
*21 March 1920: prohibition of [[casino]] gambling
*30 January 1921: [[mandatory referendum]] on international treaties signed by Switzerland 
*2 December 1928: exemptions on the ban on casinos
*11 September 1949: provisions for the [[optional referendum]] procedure
*28 November 1982: provisions against [[overpricing]]
*6 December 1987: [[Environmental protection|protection]] of [[wetlands]] (against the proposed [[Rothenthurm]] military training area)
*23 September 1990: moratorium on [[nuclear power plant]]s
*26 September 1993: [[Swiss National Day]]
*20 February 1994: [[Environmental protection|protection]] of the [[Alps|Alpine]] landscape (limitations on trans-alpine traffic)

The Federal Constitution was wholly revised for the second time in the 1990s, when the new version was approved by popular and cantonal vote on 18 April 1999. It came into force on 1 January 2000. The 1999 Constitution of Switzerland consists of a preamble and six parts, which together make up 196 articles.<ref name=SR10/>

It provides an explicit provision for nine fundamental rights, which up until then had only been discussed and debated in the Federal Court. It also provides for greater details in tax laws. The Constitution of 1999 has been changed by popular initiative ten times in the period of 2002 to 2014, as follows:<ref name=initiatives/>

*3 March 2002: accession to the [[United Nations]]
*8 February 2004: indefinite confinement of dangerous sexual offenders
*27 November 2005: restrictions on the use of genetically modified organisms in agriculture
*30 November 2008: abolition of the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse
*29 November 2009: [[Minaret ban|prohibition of minarets]]
*[[Swiss referendum on the deportation of foreign criminals, 2010|28 November 2010]]: deportation of convicted foreign citizens
*11 March 2012: limitation on building permits for holiday homes
*[[2013 Swiss executive pay referendum|3 March 2013]]: provisions for the right of shareholders in Swiss public companies to determine executive pay
*[[2014 Swiss immigration initiative|9 February 2014]]: principle of [[immigration quota]]s
*8 May 2014: prohibition of convicted child sex offenders from working with minors

==Constitutional provisions==
{{Infobox Swiss Constitution}}

===Preamble and Title 1 General Provisions ===
{{Main|Preamble and Title 1 of the Swiss Federal Constitution}}

The [[preamble]] and the first title of the Constitution determine the general outlines of [[Switzerland]] as a [[democracy|democratic]] [[federal republic]] of 26 [[Swiss cantons|cantons]] governed by the [[rule of law]].

The preamble opens with a solemn [[invocation of God]] in continuance of Swiss constitutional tradition. It is a mandate to the State authorities by the Swiss people and cantons, as the Confederation's constituent powers, to adhere to the values listed in the preamble, which include "[[liberty]] and [[democracy]], [[independence]] and [[peace]] in [[wikt:solidarity|solidarity]] and [[openness]] towards the world". The latter provision about the "openness" present a drastic contrast with the previous Swiss constitutions which were mostly oriented toward the internal isolationism. The new preamble also provides a provision about responsibility before and the rights of the future generations of the people of Switzerland.

The general provisions contained in Title 1 (articles 1–6) define the characteristic traits of the Swiss state on all of its three levels of authority: federal, cantonal and [[Swiss municipalities|municipal]]. They contain an enumeration of the constituent cantons, affirm cantonal [[sovereignty]] within the bounds of the Constitution and list the national languages – [[German language|German]], [[French language|French]], [[Italian language|Italian]] and [[Romansh language|Romansh]]. They also commit the state to the principles of obedience to law, [[Proportionality (law)|proportionality]], [[good faith]] and respect for [[international law]], an explicit claim for [[subsidiarity]], before closing with a reference to individual [[Moral responsibility|responsibility]].

===Title 2 Fundamental Rights, Citizenship and Social Goals===
{{See also|Human rights in Switzerland}}

Title 2 contains the Constitution's [[bill of rights]] and consists of 35 articles. The 1874 constitution contained only a limited number of [[fundamental rights]], and some of them grew less significant as the 20th century wore on, such as the right to a decent [[burial]] guaranteed in article 53 of the old constitution. In consequence, the [[Swiss Federal Supreme Court]]'s extensive case law developed an array of implicit or "unwritten" fundamental rights, drawing upon the case law of the [[European Court of Human Rights]] and applying the fundamental rights guaranteed in the [[European Convention on Human Rights]] (ECHR), which Switzerland ratified in 1974.

In the course of the 1999 constitutional revision, the [[Swiss Federal Assembly|Federal Assembly]] decided to codify that case law in the form of a comprehensive bill of rights, which is substantially congruent with the rights guaranteed in the ECHR, the [[Universal Declaration of Human Rights]] and the [[International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights]].

Title 2 also covers the essential rules on the acquisition of Swiss citizenship and of the exercise of political rights. Furthermore, it contains a number of not directly enforceable "social goals" which the state shall strive to ensure, including the availability of [[social security]], [[health care]] and [[dwellings|housing]].

Title 2 refers to Swiss people as "women and men of Switzerland" as a sign of acknowledging gender discrimination in the past (Switzerland became the second to last country in Europe that granted, [[1971 Swiss referendums#February: Women's suffrage|in 1971]], suffrage to women). The new Constitution also eliminated some archaisms of the old Constitution, such as the tax upon bride moving into bridegroom's house, prohibition on cantons to have military forces of more than 300 people, the mandate for cantons to provide each other with military assistance, and the prohibition of [[absinthe]].

===Title 3 Confederation, Cantons and Communes ===

Title 3 describes in the first chapter the relationships between the Confederation, the cantons and the communes. The cantons retain their own constitutions, but in the case of contradiction the Federal Constitution prevails.

The second chapter declares the federal power about areas that require uniform regulation, such as relations with foreign states, security, national and civil defence, general aspects about education, research, culture, the aspects about environment and spatial planning, public construction works and transport, energy and communications, economy in general, concerns about housing, employment, social security and health, about the rights of residence and settlement of foreign nationals, and finally about the responsibility regarding the civil and criminal law, weights and measures.

The third chapter clarifies general financial aspects, in particular taxation.

===Title 4 The People and the Cantons ===

Title 4 clarifies fundamental political rights and in particular the rights for [[Popular initiative (Switzerland)|initiatives]] and [[Referendums by country#Switzerland|referendums]].

===Title 5 Federal Authorities ===

Title 5 regulates the function and responsibilities of the Federal Government. It provides for three branches of the government represented by three bodies: the Federal Assembly (two chambers, representing the Legislative power), Federal Council (the Executive power), and the Federal Court (the Judicial power). The main differences compared to the previous constitution deal with the supervisory activity of the Federal Court of the Federal Legislature.

===Title 6 Revision of the Federal Constitution and Transitional Provisions===

Title 6 regulates the revisions of the Federal Constitution as well as transitional provisions.

== See also ==
* [[Referendum]]
* ''[[Schubert Jurisprudence]]''
* [[Special Provisions]]
* [[Swiss law]]
* [[Switzerland as a federal state]]
* [[Voting in Switzerland]]

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book|last=Bernhard Ehrenzeller, Philipp Mastronardi, Rainer J. Schweizer, Klaus A. Vallender (eds.) |title=Die schweizerische Bundesverfassung, Kommentar |year=2002 |isbn= 3-905455-70-6|language=de}}. Cited as ''Ehrenzeller''.
* {{HDS|9811|Federal Constitution|author=Andreas Kley|date=3 May 2011}}

==External links==
* Authoritative [http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/c101.html German], [http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/c101.html French] and [http://www.admin.ch/ch/i/rs/c101.html Italian] as well as non-authoritative [https://www.admin.ch/opc/rm/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html Romansh] and [https://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classified-compilation/19995395/index.html English] texts of Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation of 18 April 1999 (SR 101)

{{Switzerland topics}}
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[[Category:Swiss Federal Constitution (1999)| ]]
[[Category:Politics of Switzerland|Federal Constitution]]
[[Category:Law of Switzerland|Federal Constitution]]
[[Category:1848 establishments in Switzerland]]
[[Category:1999 establishments in Switzerland]]
[[Category:April 1999 in Europe]]
[[Category:1999 documents]]
[[Category:1999 in politics]]
[[Category:Federalism in Switzerland]]