Latest Rulings of the Federal Court
Here you will find the most recent rulings of the Federal Court (BGer) from bger.ch. For the first three rulings, we provide detailed summaries including facts, considerations, and dispositives. For the other rulings, you will find a summary of the facts. The complete summaries of all rulings are available on the portal of Lexplorer. There you can configure your newsletter and receive the latest rulings tailored to your areas of law.
1C_340/2025: Ruling concerning refusal of legal assistance and information about the NDB database
Summary of the Facts
A.________ requested information about data stored about him by the Federal Intelligence Service (NDB). The Federal Administrative Court declared the proceedings without subject matter. With an appeal in public law matters to the Federal Court, A.________ requested that the matter be referred back to the NDB for new assessment. The issue in particular was the compliance with the appeal deadline and an allegedly incorrect delivery.
Summary of the Considerations
- **E.1**: The Federal Administrative Court dismissed the proceedings because the NDB had already provided the requested information to the appellant during the proceedings. - **E.2**: The Federal Court examined the compliance with the appeal deadline and found that the appeal was submitted late. The delivery of the lower court ruling by post in Germany contradicted a declaration of international law by Germany, but it did not cause any recognizable error for the appellant, as he had received the ruling and was informed about the deadlines. - **E.3**: The appeal did not meet the justification requirements according to Art. 42 para. 2 BGG, as the submissions of the appellant were incoherent and insufficient, particularly lacking concrete evidence for his claims about an alleged transfer of data by Switzerland before July 2019. - **E.5**: Due to obvious shortcomings in the appeal, the Federal Court did not address it in the simplified procedure according to Art. 108 para. 1 BGG.
Summary of the Dispositive
The appeal was dismissed, no court costs were imposed, and no party compensation was awarded.
1C_85/2025: Withdrawal of the appeal concerning the approval of a public demonstration and route
Summary of the Facts
A.________ filed an appeal against the decision of the Cour de droit public of the Neuchâtel Cantonal Court on January 9, 2025, which declared the decision of the Department for Development, Spatial Planning, and Environment on June 13, 2023, null and dismissed the appeal against the decision of the City Council of Neuchâtel on June 7, 2023. The City Council had approved a demonstration, albeit with a change in the demonstration route. On August 16, 2025, the appellant withdrew her appeal before the Federal Court.
Summary of the Considerations
- **E.1**: The Federal Court acknowledges the withdrawal of the appeal according to Art. 32 para. 2 BGG and removes the matter 1C_85/2025 from the proceedings. - **E.2**: The appellant is considered the losing party and is ordered to pay the procedural costs of CHF 500 (Art. 66 para. 1 BGG). - **E.3**: Since the involved authorities acted within the scope of their official duties, no party compensations are awarded (Art. 68 para. 3 BGG).
Summary of the Dispositive
The matter is removed due to the withdrawal of the appeal, and the court fee is set.
1C_600/2024: Ruling on the requirements of the driver's test and the processing of a subsidiary constitutional complaint
Summary of the Facts
A.________ did not pass the practical driver's test of category B even after three attempts, the last on September 27, 2023. After unsuccessfully contesting the decision of the Road Traffic Office and the subsequent cantonal legal remedies, he brought the case to the Federal Court and requested the issuance of a driver's license, along with further requests for provisional measures and legal aid.
Summary of the Considerations
- **E.1:** The appeal in public law matters is inadmissible according to Art. 83 lit. t BGG, as it concerns the result of an ability test. The subsidiary constitutional complaint is admissible, as it was decided last instance at the cantonal level and constitutional rights are being asserted. - **E.2:** Complaints must be substantiated in detail (Art. 106 para. 2 BGG). New facts and evidence are excluded from the proceedings unless motivated by the content of the lower court decision. - **E.3:** The lower court did not violate any constitutional rights as it treated the request for provisional measures as irrelevant with the final decision. A prior decision on the request was not necessary as it was anyway hopeless. - **E.4:** The applicant's waiver of challenging the result of the second driver's test was valid. It would have been contradictory to want to contest the result of the second test after participating in the third driver's test. - **E.5:** There is no exclusion of legal action regarding the argument that the driver's test is not necessary. The question of acquiring a Swiss driver's license had already been definitively decided. - **E.6:** The complaints regarding arbitrary findings of fact and insufficient justification of the test results are unfounded. The reports and the decision of the Road Traffic Office met the requirements for a proper challenge.
Summary of the Dispositive
The appeal was not addressed, while the subsidiary constitutional complaint was dismissed without costs being imposed.
1C_159/2024: Determination of zoning conformity in the revision of a local planning scheme
Summary of the Facts
The appellants A.A.________ and B.A.________ oppose the rejection of the rezoning of their properties to a low-density residential zone by the cantonal office. The lower courts justified the rejection by citing an oversized construction zone, sufficient unused areas for future construction projects, and inadequate public transport connections. The appellants see unequal treatment compared to other properties for which rezonings were permitted.
Complete summary of the ruling can be found in the Portal.
8C_525/2024: Ruling on disability pension according to accident insurance
Summary of the Facts
A.________, owner and employee of B.________ AG, suffered a comminuted fracture of the right wrist in an accident on July 6, 2016, and was treated medically by the Swiss Accident Insurance Institute (Suva). On November 29, 2021, Suva rejected a claim for a disability pension and awarded a compensation for integrity of 5%; this was confirmed by the decision on the objection on June 20, 2022. The Administrative Court of the Canton of Zug dismissed the appeal against this on July 15, 2024. A.________ brought the case before the Federal Court, which confirmed the lower court decision.
Complete summary of the ruling can be found in the Portal.
8C_733/2024: Ruling on disability insurance (revision of pension entitlement)
Summary of the Facts
The insured A.________, who received benefits from the disability insurance due to a borderline personality disorder and polytrauma, had her disability pension (33% degree of disability) revoked by a revision decision of the IV office Solothurn on June 19, 2023, effective July 31, 2023. The Insurance Court of the Canton of Solothurn confirmed this pension termination. Before the Federal Court, the insured requested the granting of a partial pension or the referral of the matter for further review.
Complete summary of the ruling can be found in the Portal.
9C_299/2025: Decision on the valuation of shares in a holding company for the tax period 2018 and 2019
Summary of the Facts
Two taxpayers from the Canton of Geneva contest the valuation of shares in their holding company for the tax periods 2018 and 2019 by the cantonal tax administration. They requested a judicial expert opinion to determine the market value of the shares, which was rejected by the cantonal authorities. The Federal Court examines the legality of the choice of methods and the waiver of the expert opinion.
Complete summary of the ruling can be found in the Portal.
6B_274/2025: Violence and threats against authorities and officials as well as the right to be heard
Summary of the Facts
A.________ was accused of having physically assaulted a Securitas employee (defendant 2) during a ticket and person check on August 29, 2021. The Criminal Chamber of the Federal Criminal Court convicted him of violence and threats against authorities and officials (Art. 285 para. 1 StGB) to a conditional fine of 20 daily rates. The Appeals Chamber of the Federal Criminal Court confirmed the conviction but refrained from punishment. A.________ requested his acquittal before the Federal Court.
Complete summary of the ruling can be found in the Portal.
8C_524/2024: Decision on the rejection of a disability pension due to questionable work ability
Summary of the Facts
A.________ suffered a comminuted fracture of the right wrist in 2016 and later registered with the IV office of the Canton of Zug for benefit payments. The IV office denied a claim for a disability pension, which was confirmed by the Administrative Court of the Canton of Zug. A.________ filed an appeal in public law matters with the Federal Court and requests the referral of the matter for further clarification.
Complete summary of the ruling can be found in the Portal.
7B_651/2025: Ruling on the challenge of the nullity of a first instance criminal decision
Summary of the Facts
A.________ was convicted by the first instance "Corte delle assise criminali" for multiple aggravated disloyal management, fraud, repeated forgery, and money laundering to a prison sentence of 5 years and 6 months and a ban on leaving the country for 7 years. He appealed to the "Corte di appello e di revisione penale" and requested the declaration of the nullity of the first instance judgment, based on the alleged bias of the first instance court members. These requests were rejected by the cantonal appeal instance.
Complete summary of the ruling can be found in the Portal.
7B_737/2025: Decision on preventive detention
Summary of the Facts
A.________ was found guilty by the first instance court of multiple qualified embezzlement, fraud, repeated forgery, and money laundering. He received a prison sentence of 5 years and 6 months and a ban on leaving the country for 7 years. The defendant requested his release from preventive detention from the cantonal court, which was denied. A.________ appealed this decision to the Federal Court.
Complete summary of the ruling can be found in the Portal.
1C_160/2024: Decision regarding the revision of a planning office (zoning planning)
Summary of the Facts
The revision of the planning office of the municipality of Delley-Portalban, which aimed at rezoning five properties (owned by the appellant A.________) from the construction zone to a zone for residential use with low density, led to a negative decision by the cantonal office for development, environment, and infrastructure (DIME). Subsequently, the II Administrative Court Chamber of the Canton of Fribourg rejected the appeal against this cantonal decision. The appellant subsequently filed a complaint.
Complete summary of the ruling can be found in the Portal.
8C_666/2024: Claim for unemployment benefits after illness-related incapacity of the managing director of a GmbH
Summary of the Facts
A.________ registered for unemployment insurance due to the cessation of business of the B.________ GmbH he managed and applied for unemployment benefits. The Unia unemployment fund rejected the claim due to the lack of fulfillment of the contribution period owing to the absence of proven payment flow. The Social Security Court of the Canton of Zurich overturned this decision and determined that A.________ had fulfilled the contribution period.
Complete summary of the ruling can be found in the Portal.