‘Foreign judges’ initiative rejected by Swiss parliament
Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga said that the initiative was “very black and white” and represented “the very opposite of what defines Switzerland”.
Keystone
Both houses of parliament have decided to recommend rejecting a popular initiative aimed at giving Swiss legislation precedence over international law.
The House of Representatives followed the Senate’s lead on Monday and voted 127 to 67 against endorsing the initiative. The decision was made shortly before midnight, after a heated debate that lasted over nine hours.
The people’s initiative, backed by the conservative right Swiss People’s Party will likely come to a national vote later in 2018. If accepted, the initiative would place the status of Swiss national law above that of international treaties and bodies such as the European Court of Human Rights which can currently overturn decisions made in Swiss courts.
The government already expressed its opposition to the idea last year. The Swiss People’s Party is the only party in favour of the initiative.
Swiss Justice Minister Simonetta Sommaruga said that the initiative was “very black and white” and represented “the very opposite of what defines Switzerland”. If it was accepted, it would unnecessarily force the country into a restrictive “corset”, she said. The initiative had also been formulated in contradictory terms and did not in fact clarify what it said it would, Sommaruga added.
More
More
Put national law before international law? Other countries do.
This content was published on
Should the Swiss constitution take precedence over international law. Here is a quick summary of the legal situation in other countries.
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Switzerland increasingly a target for people smuggling and trafficking
This content was published on
Switzerland is increasingly being targeted by organized crime. This also applies to commercial people smuggling, the fastest growing criminal market in Europe.
Swiss forests better equipped against storms 25 years after Lothar
This content was published on
Twenty-five years ago, Hurricane Lothar toppled trees like dominoes in Switzerland. Forests today are better prepared to cope with such an exceptional event, say experts.
This content was published on
The Locarno Film Festival is considering moving from the beginning of August to the second half of July for its 80th edition in 2027.
Council of Europe head Alain Berset visits Georgia
This content was published on
The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Alain Berset, is visiting Georgia, which has been rocked by a political crisis, from Wednesday.
Swiss politician who shot at Jesus faces criminal proceedings
This content was published on
The Zurich public prosecutor's office has opened criminal proceedings against politician Sanija Ameti. It is investigating whether she disrupted freedom of religion and worship.
Switzerland must be able to control immigration, says head of business federation
This content was published on
Switzerland must be able to control immigration itself if it "exceeds the tolerable limits", says Christoph Mäder, president of Economiesuisse, the Swiss Business Federation.
This content was published on
The film Reinas by Klaudia Reynicke, a Swiss-Peruvian-Spanish co-production, has missed out on an Oscar nomination for Best Foreign Film.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
International vs national law: a manufactured controversy?
This content was published on
The rightwing Swiss People’s Party is calling for a people’s initiative, saying that “democratically legitimised Swiss law” should take precedent over international law, despite the constitution stating the opposite. But human rights experts say the conflict is artificial.
‘We were the only ones who cared about Swiss self-determination’
This content was published on
Christoph Blocher speaks to swissinfo.ch about the 1992 vote on EEA membership, his millions, and politics a quarter of a century later.
Is Switzerland about to follow Russia’s legal lead?
This content was published on
International treaties or national law – what takes precedence? In Switzerland, a people’s initiative wants to decide this once and for all.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.