Preamble Title One. General Provisions Article 1. The Swiss Confederation Article 2. Aims Article 3. Cantons Article 4. National languages Article 5. Rule of law Article 5a. Subsidiarity Article 6. Individual and collective responsibility Title Two. Fundamental Rights, Citizenship and Social Goals Chapter 1. Fundamental Rights Article 7. Human dignity Article 8. Equality before the law Article 9. Protection against arbitrary conduct and principle of good faith Article 10. Right to life and to personal freedom Article 11. Protection of children and young people Article 12. Right to assistance when in need Article 13. Right to privacy Article 14. Right to marry and to have a family Article 15. Freedom of religion and conscience Article 16. Freedom of expression and of information Article 17. Freedom of the media Article 18. Freedom to use any language Article 19. Right to basic education Article 20. Academic freedom Article 21. Freedom of artistic expression Article 22. Freedom of assembly Article 23. Freedom of association Article 24. Freedom of domicile Article 25. Protection against expulsion, extradition and deportation Article 26. Guarantee of ownership Article 27. Economic freedom Article 28. Right to form professional associations Article 29. General procedural guarantees Article 29a. Guarantee of access to the courts Article 30. Judicial proceedings Article 31. Deprivation of liberty Article 32. Criminal proceedings Article 33. Right of petition Article 34. Political rights Article 35. Upholding of fundamental rights Article 36. Restrictions on fundamental rights Chapter 2. Citizenship and Political Rights Article 37. Citizenship Article 38. Acquisition and deprivation of citizenship Article 39. Exercise of political rights Article 40. The Swiss abroad Chapter 3. Social Objectives Article 41 Title Three. Confederation, Cantons and Communes Chapter 1. Relations between the Confederation and the Cantons Section 1. Duties of the Confederation and the Cantons Article 42. Duties of the Confederation Article 43. Duties of the Cantons Article 43a. Principles for the allocation and fulfilment of state tasks Section 2. Cooperation between the Confederation and the Cantons Article 44. Principles Article 45. Participation in federal decision-making Article 46. Implementation of federal law Article 47. Autonomy of the Cantons Article 48. Intercantonal agreements Article 48a. Declaration of general application and requirement of participation Article 49. Precedence of and compliance with federal law Section 3. Communes Article 50 Section 4. Federal Guarantees Article 51. Cantonal constitutions Article 52. Constitutional order Article 53. Number and territory of the Cantons Chapter 2. Powers Section 1. Relations with Foreign States Article 54. Foreign relations Article 55. Participation of the Cantons in foreign policy decisions Article 56. Relations between the Cantons and foreign states Section 2. Security, National Defence, Civil Defence Article 57. Security Article 58. Armed forces Article 59. Military service and alternative service Article 60. Armed forces organisation, training and equipment Article 61. Civil defence Section 3. Education, Research and Culture Article 61a. Swiss Education Area Article 62. School education Article 63. Vocational and professional education and training Article 63a. Higher education institutions Article 64. Research Article 64a. Continuing education and training Article 65. Statistics Article 66. Education grants Article 67. Encouragement of children and young people Article 67a. Musical education Article 68. Sport Article 69. Culture Article 70. Languages Article 71. Cinema Article 72. Church and state Section 4. Environment and Spatial Planning Article 73. Sustainable development Article 74. Protection of the environment Article 75. Spatial planning Article 75a. National Land Survey Article 75b. Second homes Article 76. Water Article 77. Forests Article 78. Protection of natural and cultural heritage Article 79. Fishing and hunting Article 80. Protection of animals Section 5. Public Construction Works and Transport Article 81. Public Construction Works Article 82. Road transport Article 83. National roads Article 84. Alpine transit traffic Article 85. Heavy vehicle charge Article 86. Consumption tax on motor fuels and other traffic taxes 3bis Article 87. Railways and other modes of transport Article 88. Footpaths and hiking trails Section 6. Energy and Communications Article 89. Energy policy Article 90. Nuclear energy Article 91. Transport of energy Article 92. Postal and telecommunications services Article 93. Radio and television Section 7. The Economy Article 94. Principles of the economic system Article 95. Professional activities in the private sector Article 96. Competition policy Article 97. Consumer protection Article 98. Banks and insurance companies Article 99. Monetary policy Article 100. Economic policy Article 101. Foreign economic policy Article 102. National economic supply Article 103. Structural policy Article 104. Agriculture Article 105. Alcohol Article 106. Gambling Article 107. Weapons and war material Section 8. Housing, Employment, Social Security and Health Article 108. Construction of housing and home ownership Article 109. Landlord and tenant Article 110. Employment Article 111. Old-age, survivors’ and invalidity pension provision Article 112. Old-age, Survivors’ and Invalidity Insurance Article 112a. Supplementary benefits Article 112b. Promoting the rehabilitation of people eligible for invalidity benefits Article 112c. Aid for elderly people and people with disabilities Article 113. Occupational pension scheme Article 114. Unemployment insurance Article 115. Support for persons in need Article 116. Child allowances and maternity insurance Article 117. Health and accident insurance Article 118. Health protection Article 118a. Complementary medicine Article 118b. Research on human beings Article 119. Reproductive medicine and gene technology involving human beings Article 119a. Transplant medicine Article 120. Non-human gene technology Section 9. Residence and Permanent Settlement of Foreign Nationals Article 121. Legislation on foreign nationals and asylum Article 121a. Control of immigration Section 10. Civil Law, Criminal Law, Weights and Measures Article 122. Civil law Article 123. Criminal law Article 123a Article 123b. No time limit for the right to prosecute or for penalties for sexual or pornography offences involving prepubescent children Article 124. Victim support Article 125. Weights and measures Chapter 3. Financial System Article 126. Financial management Article 127. Principles of taxation Article 128. Direct taxes Article 129. Tax harmonisation Article 130. Value added tax Article 131. Special consumption taxes Article 132. Stamp duty and withholding tax Article 133. Customs duties Article 134. Exclusion of cantonal and communal taxation Article 135. Equalisation of financial resources and burdens Title Four. The People and the Cantons Chapter 1. General Provisions Article 136. Political rights Article 137. Political parties Chapter 2. Initiative and Referendum Article 138. Popular initiative requesting the complete revision of the Federal Constitution Article 139. Popular initiative requesting a partial revision of the Federal Constitution in specific terms Article 139a. Repealed in the Popular Vote on 27 Sept. 2009, with effect from 27 Sept. 2009 Article 139b. Procedure applicable to an initiative and counter-proposal Article 140. Mandatory referendum Article 141. Optional referendum Article 141a. Implementation of international treaties Article 142. Required majorities Title Five. Federal Authorities Chapter 1. General Provisions Article 143. Eligibility for election Article 144. Incompatibility Article 145. Term of office Article 146. State liability Article 147. Consultation procedure Chapter 2. Federal Assembly Section 1. Organisation Article 148. Status Article 149. Composition and election of the National Council Article 150. Composition and election of the Council of States Article 151. Sessions Article 152. Presidency Article 153. Parliamentary committees Article 154. Parliamentary groups Article 155. Parliamentary Services Section 2. Procedure Article 156. Separate proceedings Article 157. Joint proceedings Article 158. Public meetings Article 159. Quorum and required majority Article 160. Right to submit initiatives and motions Article 161. Prohibition of voting instructions Article 162. Immunity Section 3. Powers Article 163. Form of Federal Assembly enactments Article 164. Legislation Article 165. Emergency legislation Article 166. Foreign relations and international treaties Article 167. Finance Article 168. Appointments Article 169. Supervisory control Article 170. Evaluation of effectiveness Article 171. Tasks of the Federal Council Article 172. Relations between the Confederation and the Cantons Article 173. Further duties and powers Chapter 3. Federal Council and Federal Administration Section 1. Organisation and Procedure Article 174. Federal Council Article 175. Composition and election Article 176. Presidency Article 177. Principle of collegiality and allocation to departments Article 178. Federal Administration Article 179. Federal Chancellery Section 2. Powers Article 180. Government policy Article 181. Right to initiate legislation Article 182. Lawmaking and implementation of legislation Article 183. Finances Article 184. Foreign relations Article 185. External and internal security Article 186. Relations between the Confederation and the Cantons Article 187. Further duties and powers Chapter 4. Federal Supreme Court and other Judicial Authorities Article 188. Status Article 189. Jurisdiction of the Federal Supreme Court 1bis Article 190. Applicable law Article 191. Access to the Federal Supreme Court Article 191a. Other federal judicial authorities Article 191b. Cantonal judicial authorities Article 191c. Independence of the judiciary Title Six. Revision of the Federal Constitution and Transitional Provisions Chapter 1. Revision Article 192. Principle Article 193. Total revision Article 194. Partial revision Article 195. Commencement Chapter 2. Transitional Provisions Article 196. Transitional provisions in terms of the Federal Decree of 18 December 1998 on a new Federal Constitution 1. Transitional provision to Article 84 (Transalpine transit traffic) 2. Transitional provision to Article 85 (Flat-rate heavy vehicle charge) 3. Transitional provision to Article 87 (Railways and other carriers) 4. Transitional provision to Article 90 (Nuclear energy) 5. Transitional provision to Article 95 (Private economic activity) 6. Transitional provision to Article 102 (National economic supply) 7. Transitional provision to Article 103 (Structural policy) 8. Transitional provision to Article 106 (Gambling) 9. Transitional provision to Article 110 para. 3 (National Day of the Swiss Confederation) 10. Repealed by the popular vote on 28 Nov 2004, with effect from 1 Jan. 2008 11. Transitional provision to Article 113 (Occupational Pension Scheme) 12. Transitional provision to Article 126 (Financial management) 13. Transitional provision to Article 128 (Duration of tax levy) 14. Transitional provision to Article 130 (Value Added Tax) 15. Transitional provision to Article 131 (Beer tax) 16. Repealed by the popular vote on 28 Nov 2004, with effect from 1 Jan. 2008 Article 197. Transitional provisions following the adoption of the Federal Constitution of 18 April 1999 1. Accession of Switzerland to the United Nations 2. Transitional provision to Article 62 (School education) 3. Transitional provision to Article 83 (National roads) 4. Transitional provision to Article 112b (Promoting the rehabilitation of people eligible for invalidity benefits) 5. Transitional provision to Article 112c (Aid for elderly people and people with disabilities) 7. Transitional Provision to Article 120 (Non-human gene technology) 8. Transitional provision to Article 121 (Residence and Permanent Settlement of Foreign Nationals) 9. Transitional provision to Article 75b (Second homes) 10. Transitional provision to Article 95 para. 3 11. Transitional provision to Article 121a (Control of immigration) Final Provisions of the Federal Decree of 18 December 1998 II IV
In the name of Almighty God!
The Swiss People and the Cantons,
mindful of their responsibility towards creation,
resolved to renew their alliance so as to strengthen liberty, democracy, independence and peace in a spirit of solidarity and openness towards the world,
determined to live together with mutual consideration and respect for their diversity,
conscious of their common achievements and their responsibility towards future generations,
and in the knowledge that only those who use their freedom remain free, and that the strength of a people is measured by the well-being of its weakest members;
adopt the following Constitution:
The People and the Cantons of Zurich, Bern, Lucerne, Uri, Schwyz, Obwalden and Nidwalden, Glarus, Zug, Fribourg, Solothurn, Basel Stadt and Basel Landschaft, Schaffhausen, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden, St. Gallen, Graubünden, Aargau, Thurgau, Ticino, Vaud, Valais, Neuchâtel, Geneva, and Jura form the Swiss Confederation.
The Swiss Confederation shall protect the liberty and rights of the people and safeguard the independence and security of the country.
It shall promote the common welfare, sustainable development, internal cohesion and cultural diversity of the country.
It shall ensure the greatest possible equality of opportunity among its citizens.
It is committed to the long term preservation of natural resources and to a just and peaceful international order.
The Cantons are sovereign except to the extent that their sovereignty is limited by the Federal Constitution. They exercise all rights that are not vested in the Confederation.
The National Languages are German, French, Italian, and Romansh.
All activities of the state are based on and limited by law.
State activities must be conducted in the public interest and be proportionate to the ends sought.
State institutions and private persons shall act in good faith.
The Confederation and the Cantons shall respect international law.
The principle of subsidiarity must be observed in the allocation and performance of state tasks.
All individuals shall take responsibility for themselves and shall, according to their abilities, contribute to achieving the tasks of the state and society.
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