Legal basis

An overview of the laws, ordinances and directives that govern the activities of the Federal Archives.

The tasks and responsibilities of the Swiss Federal Archives are set out in the Federal Act on Archiving (ArchA) of 1998. The Act also sets out the archiving obligations of federal bodies and other public or private law bodies that fulfil executive tasks delegated to them by the Confederation.

ArchA establishes a right of access to archive records without restriction and free of charge. It also sets out closure periods stipulating when documents become accessible without a request to consult records. You can submit such a request to the Federal Archives if you wish to consult documents that are subject to a closure period.

The work of the Federal Archives is also influenced by numerous other laws, ordinances and directives. Here is an overview:

Archiving legislation

Directives of the Federal Archives

Other relevant laws

Application of the law

An overview of the case law on archive law can be found on the websites of the Federal Supreme Court and the Federal Administrative Court.

Federal Supreme Court

Federal Court: Jurisprudence

Federal Administrative Court

Federal Administrative Court: Jurisprudence

Last modification 30.01.2024

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