Latest Judgments of the Federal Court
Here you will find the most recent judgments of the Federal Court (BGer) from bger.ch. For the first three judgments, we present detailed summaries including facts, considerations, and dispositions. For the other judgments, you will find a summary of the facts. The complete summaries of all judgments are available on the Lexplorer portal. There, you can configure your newsletter and receive the latest judgments tailored to your areas of law.
1C_523/2025: Decision of the Federal Court regarding the inadmissibility of a complaint due to lack of standing
Summary of the Facts
A.________, co-owner of a plot in Lutry along with C.________, opposed the approval of a construction project on the neighboring plot by the municipality of Lutry. The lower instance, the Administrative and Public Law Court of the Vaud Cantonal Tribunal, declared her complaint inadmissible, as she lacked standing due to not having acted jointly with C.________ and because her residence outside the municipality of Lutry did not constitute a direct impact.
Summary of the Considerations
- **E.1**: The subject of the complaint is a decision of the lower instance, which rejected A.________'s complaint due to lack of standing. - **E.2**: A.________ submitted the complaint to the Federal Court on the last day of the 30-day deadline. Her submission does not meet the requirements according to Art. 42 and 100 LTF, as it lacks concrete requests and justifications. The deadline is not extendable, and subsequent amendments are inadmissible. - **E.3**: The request for an extension of the deadline or restoration due to an alleged hindering circumstance was deemed insufficiently justified and was also rejected for lack of evidence. - **E.4**: The submission is declared inadmissible based on Art. 108 para. 1 lit. b LTF. The procedure is conducted free of charge.
Summary of the Disposition
The complaint is declared inadmissible, and no court costs are incurred.
7B_548/2025: Inadmissibility of a complaint due to non-payment of costs
Summary of the Facts
The lower instance, the Criminal Complaint Chamber of the Bern Cantonal Court, rejected A.________'s complaint against a non-acceptance order of the Bern public prosecutor (special tasks) dated January 31, 2025, as far as it was addressed. A.________ subsequently filed a complaint in criminal matters with the Federal Court.
Summary of the Considerations
- **(E.1)** According to Art. 62 BGG, the party is obliged to pay an advance for the procedural costs. The complainant was informed that failure to pay this advance could lead to the inadmissibility of the complaint. Despite being given two deadlines and an additional non-extendable deadline until August 25, 2025, no payment was made. Furthermore, the option of applying for free legal assistance was not utilized. The complaint was consequently evidently inadmissible and was treated within a simplified procedure according to Art. 108 para. 1 lit. a BGG. - **(E.2)** Due to the circumstances, it was decided that no court costs would be charged exceptionally.
Summary of the Disposition
The disposition declares the complaint inadmissible and provides for no court costs.
6B_536/2025: Judgment on the fiction of withdrawal of an objection against a penalty order
Summary of the Facts
The complainant was fined by the District Office of Hinwil for intentional noncompliance with an official order through a penalty order. He objected to this penalty order but did not appear at the hearing dates despite two summonses, presenting medical certificates to justify his absence. The District Office considered the objection withdrawn due to lack of substantiated evidence for an inability to attend and declared the penalty order valid. The Cantonal Court of Zurich confirmed this, and the complainant filed a complaint with the Federal Court.
Summary of the Considerations
- **E.1:** The Federal Court examined whether the complainant could sufficiently substantiate his inability to attend. A generally formulated medical certificate stating an inability to work is not sufficient to justify an inability to attend. - **E.2:** The complainant only presented an additional medical certificate during the complaint proceedings, which was not included in the District Office's files and was therefore not considered further. - **E.3:** The lower instance was correct in assuming that the complainant had unexcused absences from the second summons. The legal consequences of Art. 355 para. 2 StPO were applied lawfully. - **E.4:** The complainant's criticism of the assessment of evidence and application of law is limited to the repetition of his own viewpoints, without sufficient justification for a violation of federal law or arbitrariness.
Summary of the Disposition
The complaint was dismissed, and the request for free legal assistance was also denied. The costs were imposed on the complainant.
7B_801/2023: Order to discontinue regarding social security fraud
Summary of the Facts
A.________, as director of B.________ SA, applied for compensation for short-time work (RHT) in connection with the coronavirus pandemic from the cantonal unemployment insurance fund of Geneva between March and September 2020. After a review, the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) demanded the repayment of approximately CHF 88,600, as the requested compensations were partly based on false information. This amount was ultimately refunded. SECO filed a criminal complaint against A.________ on February 3, 2022, for fraud, unlawful receipt of social security benefits, misuse of title, and violations of the unemployment insurance law. The Geneva State Ministry discontinued the prosecution, as A.________ had acknowledged her debt in addition to refunding the funds and the conditions for waiving prosecution according to Art. 53 StGB were met. The Criminal Court of Appeals of the Geneva Court of Justice overturned this discontinuation order and referred the matter back to the State Ministry for further instruction.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
7B_717/2025: Judgment on the refusal to accept a complaint in a criminal case
Summary of the Facts
The Criminal Chamber of the Freiburg Cantonal Court declared with a decision dated July 1, 2025, A.________'s complaint against a non-acceptance order of the cantonal public prosecutor dated June 5, 2025, inadmissible, as the requirements for justification according to Art. 385 para. 1 StPO were not met. A.________ filed a complaint in criminal matters with the Federal Court against this decision on July 23, 2025.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
7B_473/2025: Decision on the continuation of a therapeutic measure and rejection of a new psychiatric expertise
Summary of the Facts
The complainant, A.________, was sentenced in the first instance for several offenses, including bodily injury and violence against authorities, to a prison sentence of eight months and a therapeutic measure according to Art. 59 StGB. Various psychiatric diagnoses were made, initially simple schizophrenia, later a mixed type of personality disorder. The cantonal authority decided to continue the measure and rejected a new psychiatric expertise. The complainant seeks partial annulment of the measure, a new external psychiatric expertise, and his transfer to a more suitable psychiatric center outside the canton of Freiburg before the Federal Court.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
6B_511/2025: Inadmissibility of a complaint regarding an offense against the Road Traffic Act
Summary of the Facts
A complainant and a complainant were fined by the Emmental-Oberaargau Regional Court for operating or allowing a vehicle that did not comply with regulations, each receiving a fine of CHF 200 (substitute imprisonment: 2 days). The Cantonal Court of Bern confirmed this judgment and the cost regulation. The complainants sought acquittal before the Federal Court.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
5A_792/2024: Assessment of a late action for acknowledgment of paternity
Summary of the Facts
A.________, born in 1965, claims that C.________ is her father. After a previous paternity lawsuit in the 1960s, which ended in a settlement and was confirmed by a court in 1972, A.________ applied in 2022 for a renewed judicial determination of paternity of C.________, who had since passed away. She justified the delay with alleged legal misunderstanding and her assumption that no further action was possible after the 1972 settlement. The lower instances rejected her action due to late submission.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
1C_373/2025: Judgment on public personnel law
Summary of the Facts
The complainant A.________ worked as an administrative study supervisor at the B.________ University. After an oral warning and the written definition of tasks and goals, the employment relationship was terminated by the employer at the end of March 2024. A.________ raised objections, requested reasons for termination, and sued before the Lucerne Cantonal Court. The court dismissed the case and declared a request for the issuance of a work certificate as resolved.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
7B_596/2025: Access to an official defender and to the admissibility of a complaint
Summary of the Facts
A.________ requested the appointment of an official defender from the district attorney of La Côte. This request was denied on April 15, 2025, as his need was not sufficiently documented. A.________ challenged this decision before the Criminal Appeals Chamber of the Cantonal Court of Vaud, which dismissed the complaint on May 1, 2025. Subsequently, A.________ filed a complaint with the Federal Court on July 1, 2025, along with a request for free legal assistance.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
1C_701/2024: Judgment regarding a building permit in Gambarogno
Summary of the Facts
An owner applied for a partial subsequent building permit for renovation work on his residential house in the historical core zone of Gambarogno. After initial approval by the competent municipal authority and partial modifications by the government council, the neighbors disputed various legal and construction aspects of the project. The lower instance, the Administrative Court of the Canton of Ticino, rejected the complaints of the neighbors or partially did not proceed.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
6B_652/2024: Judgment regarding commercial fraud and the principle of prosecution
Summary of the Facts
A.________ was accused of fraudulently obtaining a total of 28 mobile phones and an Apple Watch worth CHF 42,611 between January and February 2019 through unlawful contract conclusions via various channels (shops, call centers, e-shop) and reselling them. The focus was on the use of false identity data (his brother's), the circumvention of credit checks, and the concealment of his activity. The behavior was qualified as commercial fraud and fraudulent misuse of a data processing facility.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
1C_586/2024: Decision regarding subsequent approval for the installation of concrete bollards
Summary of the Facts
The owner A.________ subsequently applied for building approval for the installation of four concrete bollards on her property, which is partially designated as a neighborhood street in the traffic zone plan. The bollards were intended to prevent parking of foreign vehicles on the private area. The building permit was refused by the municipal council of Vezia and later by the State Council of the Canton of Ticino. The Administrative Court of the Canton of Ticino also rejected the appeal raised against this decision. The owner filed a complaint with the Federal Court against this decision.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
6B_381/2025: Judgment regarding the accusation of attempted coercion, threats, insults, and disobedience against official orders
Summary of the Facts
The complainant was convicted by the Cantonal Court of Aargau for multiple attempted coercion, threats, insults, and disobedience against official orders. He was sentenced to a conditionally imposed fine of 150 daily rates of CHF 20 each (probation period of two years) as well as a fine of CHF 1,100. Additionally, his pre-trial detention and substitute measures were taken into account. The complainant filed a complaint with the Federal Court and requested the annulment of the lower instance judgment, or alternatively, the referral for re-evaluation. He also requested free legal assistance and claimed compensation and reimbursement.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
1F_17/2025: Decision on a revision request
Summary of the Facts
A.________, a former public servant in the Canton of Ticino, requested a revision of a Federal Court judgment (1C_56/2025 dated June 12, 2025). This judgment confirmed a previous judgment of the Administrative Court of the Canton of Ticino, which regulated the classification and remuneration of A.________ due to a new salary system. A.________ argued that Judge Athos Mecca should have declared himself biased due to past political conflicts. He also questioned the competence of the chambers of the Federal Court for his legal issue and claimed that the court had not considered essential arguments.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
1C_141/2025: Judgment on termination in public labor law under accusation of bullying
Summary of the Facts
The complainant, A.________, had been employed by the Réseau hospitalier neuchâtelois (RHNe) since 2008, last as a full-time assistant manager. After criticism of her work, a list of her work deficiencies was compiled, and improvement goals were set for her. In October 2023, RHNe found that these goals had not been met. She then raised allegations of psychological bullying against her direct supervisor. From February 2024, she was unable to work due to a diagnosed mixed anxiety-depressive disorder. The employment relationship was ultimately terminated by RHNe effective January 31, 2025. The complainant claimed that the termination was abusive (Art. 336 ff. OR).
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
6B_315/2025: Judgment regarding desecration and procedural rights
Summary of the Facts
A.________ and D.________ are accused of having committed sexual acts on E.________ while she was impaired due to alcohol and drug use. The Cantonal Court of Zurich sentenced A.________ to 4 years of imprisonment and ordered an outpatient measure. D.________ received a conditional prison sentence of 2 years. Both were ordered to pay CHF 6,000 in compensation to E.________. A.________ filed a complaint against the judgment, requesting inter alia an acquittal and the return of seized items, as well as the dismissal of E.________'s civil claim.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
6B_368/2025: Judgment of the Federal Court on rape and sentencing
Summary of the Facts
A. On August 24, 2023, the Cantonal Court of Appenzell Ausserrhoden convicted A.________ of rape, simple bodily injury, threats, coercion, and multiple criminal acts against the secret or private sphere (Art. 179 ff. StGB) to a sentence of 19 months imprisonment and 105 daily fines, both conditionally, as well as a fine of CHF 200. It waived a deportation order. On December 10, 2024, the Cantonal Court of Appenzell Ausserrhoden dismissed the appeal regarding the acts due to withdrawal. It confirmed the convictions, to the extent that they had not become final, and extended the probation period from two to three years. It also ordered a deportation of five years. B. With a criminal complaint, A.________ requests to be acquitted of the charge of rape and for the prison sentence to be appropriately reduced. He requests that a deportation order be waived. He seeks free legal assistance.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
1C_63/2025: Decision regarding termination of public employment due to health-related absences
Summary of the Facts
A.________, an employee of the Canton of Ticino since 1998, was long-term unable to work due to illness starting in February 2021 and reached an absence duration of over 18 months. The employment relationship was terminated by the canton according to Art. 60 LORD on November 30, 2023, despite a partial return to work.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
7B_837/2025: Non-admission of a complaint in criminal matters
Summary of the Facts
A.________ filed a complaint against a non-acceptance order of the public prosecutor's office of the Canton of Valais with the Criminal Chamber of the Cantonal Court of Valais. This court dismissed the complaint, as far as it was addressed, on July 23, 2025. Against this decision, A.________ filed a complaint on August 11, 2025, which was forwarded to the Federal Court on August 26, 2025.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
6B_590/2025: Non-admission of a complaint due to unpaid advance costs
Summary of the Facts
The complainant lodged a complaint against the judgment of the Cantonal Court of Thurgau dated May 13, 2025, and was required to pay an advance fee. The complainant was exceptionally allowed to pay the amount in two installments, with clear deadlines set. However, he failed to pay the first installment on time, which is why the Federal Court did not enter into the complaint.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
6B_97/2025: Judgment regarding driving in an incapable state with qualified blood alcohol concentration
Summary of the Facts
The Cantonal Court of Aargau convicted the complainant, A.________, on December 6, 2024, for driving in an incapable state with a blood alcohol concentration of at least 2.03 weight per thousand according to Art. 91 para. 2 lit. a SVG. The sanction consisted of a fine of 100 daily rates of CHF 70 each and imposition of process costs amounting to CHF 7,012.50. The complainant denied having driven the car before the police control and requested an acquittal through a complaint to the Federal Court.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
6B_819/2023: Judgment regarding the transfer of a vehicle to a person without a valid driver's license
Summary of the Facts
A.________ repeatedly transferred a vehicle to his employee B.________ in the course of his professional activities, although B.________ did not possess a valid driver's license. The driver's license had already expired at the time of the vehicle transfer. B.________ was stopped for a traffic violation (running a red light), which led to the discovery of the missing driving permit.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
7B_560/2025: Non-admission of a complaint against the discontinuation of a criminal procedure
Summary of the Facts
The complainants, A.A. and her mother B.A., filed a complaint against the discontinuation of a criminal procedure by the public prosecutor's office of Basel-Landschaft regarding sexual acts with children at the Cantonal Court of Basel-Landschaft. This court did not enter into their complaints, as there was neither sufficient representation authority nor civil claims that had been credibly made. The Federal Court also did not enter into the complaint in criminal matters, as the justification did not meet the legal requirements.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
7B_815/2025: Order of pre-trial detention – Federal Court reviews complaints
Summary of the Facts
A.________ was arrested on suspicion of attempted intentional homicide and alternatively attempted serious bodily harm. The public prosecutor initially waived a detention order in favor of civil protective custody. After determining the ability to be interrogated and to endure detention, A.________ was re-arrested. The coercive measures court ordered pre-trial detention, which was confirmed by the lower instance.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.