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 dispositives. 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_766/2025: Voting Rights Complaint Against the Designation "Bilaterale III"
Summary of the Facts
The complainant, Boris Etter, filed a voting rights complaint against a federal voting proposal for the year 2027 ("Stabilization and Further Development of Switzerland-EU Relations"), specifically against the official designation of this proposal by the federal government and authorities as "Bilaterale III". He demanded a ban on the use of this term and its removal from official documents and digital media. The Government Council of the Canton of Zurich did not consider the submission as the points raised were outside its jurisdiction.
Summary of the Considerations
**E.1:** The Federal Council and other federal authorities used the term "Bilaterale III" in an interim report, a press release, and at a press conference, which the complainant contests as a real act. **E.3.1:** Acts of the Federal Council and the Federal Assembly cannot generally be contested according to Art. 189 para. 4 BV. The use of the term "Bilaterale III" by the Federal Council is to be classified as such an act and is therefore not justiciable. **E.3.2:** The complainant refers to an exception in case law (BGE 147 I 194), according to which the information situation in referendums can be reviewed in individual cases. However, the Federal Court states that such an exceptional case is not present here. **E.3.3:** Since the complaint is obviously inadmissible, it will not be considered further without examination of the admissibility requirements in the simplified procedure according to Art. 108 para. 1 BGG.
Summary of the Dispositive
The Federal Court did not consider the complaint and imposed court costs of 500 francs on the complainant. No party compensation was granted.
8C_72/2025: Decision Regarding Entitlement to Accident Insurance Pension and Compensation for Integrity Damage
Summary of the Facts
The case concerns A.________, who suffered severe injuries to both heels in a workplace accident on November 24, 2017. The Swiss Accident Insurance Institution (CNA) ultimately recognized compensation for integrity damage of 40%, but denied a claim for an invalidity pension, as there was no loss of earnings. The decision was contested before the Tribunal cantonal du Valais, but the court largely followed the assessments of the CNA.
Summary of the Considerations
The complainant contests a final decision of a cantonal last instance in the field of public law. The complaint was filed in a timely and proper manner and is admissible. The issues at stake concern the amount of compensation for integrity damage and the entitlement to an invalidity pension LAA. The relevant legal bases and the applicable case law regarding claims from accident insurance (Art. 18 para. 1 and Art. 24 LAA) as well as the causality of psychological consequential damages were correctly presented. The Tribunal cantonal followed the CNA's assessment with respect to the residual work capacity and found that the psychological impairments do not have an adequate causal connection to the accident. The medical reports from Dr. F.________ were deemed less convincing due to methodological deficiencies. The complainant argues that his somatic condition represents a severe limitation of his ability to work. However, the Federal Court follows the Tribunal cantonal and the assessments of the CNA's doctors, stating that adapted work is 100% possible. Regarding the psychological impairments, the Federal Court denies adequate causality. According to case law, the case criteria (severity of injuries, duration of the healing process, work absences, etc.) do not meet the required threshold. The assessment of the integrity compensation of 40% was supported by medical reports from the CNA and deemed more convincing than the inflated assessment by Dr. F.________.
Summary of the Dispositive
The Federal Court dismisses the complaint and decides that the costs of 800 CHF must be borne by the complainant.
8C_399/2025: Decision on Adjustment of Pension and Recovery of Benefits in Accident Insurance
Summary of the Facts
The case involves an accident insurance matter, specifically the adjustment of the invalidity pension and recovery of overpaid pension benefits due to a prison sentence of the insured, A.________. Helsana Accidents SA partially suspended the invalidity pension during the pre-trial detention and demanded a refund. The cantonal court reduced the recovery amounts, which was contested by Helsana before the Federal Court.
Summary of the Considerations
- **E.1:** The admissibility of the legal remedy is examined. The complainant's argument that the contested ruling is partially final is confirmed. It concerns a decision related to the refund of the pension and can thus be challenged by complaint. - **E.2:** The complaint reason is specified. The complaint can be filed due to legal violations as defined in Art. 95 and 96 BGG. - **E.3:** The central issue concerns the application of Art. 21 para. 5 ATSG regarding the partial suspension of an invalidity pension due to pre-trial detention. According to the Federal Court, a reduction of the pension was already justified from January 2023 if the pre-trial detention lasts longer than three months. The cantonal assertion that the reduction should only take effect from April 2023 is rejected. - **E.4:** It is established that the recovery of the overpaid pension amounts is correctly calculated at 5,016 francs.
Summary of the Dispositive
The Federal Court upheld the complaint and confirmed the recovery amount and cost distribution. The decision is referred back to the cantonal instance for further determination.
9C_489/2025: Non-Consideration of the Complaint in Public Law Matters Regarding Tax Assessment
Summary of the Facts
The Cantonal Tax Office of St. Gallen revoked the withholding tax from the respondents starting in 2020 and assessed them in the ordinary procedure. After the unsuccessful submission of the required tax returns and an official deletion from the residents' register, the tax office issued discretionary assessments for the tax periods 2020 to 2022. The objections raised against this were not processed due to lack of compliance with deadlines. Subsequently, the Administrative Court of the Canton of St. Gallen upheld complaints and referred the matter back to the tax office for processing the objections. The tax office then filed a complaint in public law matters with the Federal Court.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
6B_379/2024: Judgment Regarding Sentencing for Qualified Violations of the Drug Law
Summary of the Facts
The District Court of Bucheggberg-Wasseramt convicted A.________ for qualified and multiple violations of the drug law, money laundering, driving without authorization, as well as misuse of identification cards and signs, to a prison sentence of 46 months, a conditional fine, and a penalty. The High Court of the Canton of Solothurn confirmed these convictions and made adjustments to the compensation claim. A.________ filed a complaint with the Federal Court, alleging violations of the right to be heard and the principle of "in dubio pro reo" as well as erroneous sentencing and evidence assessment.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
9C_455/2025: Judgment Regarding Tax Assessment of a Liquidating Corporation
Summary of the Facts
The complaint concerns the tax assessment of A.________ AG in liquidation for the tax periods 2009/2010, 2010/2011, and 2011/2012. The subject of the dispute is discretionary assessments by the Cantonal Tax Office of Zurich based on an audit due to alleged lack of proper financial accounting and non-verifiability of the model "Commission" claimed by the taxpayer. In particular, the consideration of alleged hidden profit distributions and non-business expenses is contested.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
5A_204/2025: Judgment on Real Property Claims in Connection with Condominium Ownership
Summary of the Facts
The complainants A.________ and B.________, condominium owners with special rights on the upper floor of a property, requested before the District Court to reverse several resolutions of the condominium owners' association and various structural and plant changes in the garden area of another owner. Their lawsuit was dismissed by the District Court of Horgen. The appeal against this decision was unsuccessful before the High Court of the Canton of Zurich. The complainants filed a complaint with the Federal Court.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
1C_459/2025: Decision Regarding the Cantonal Vote and Questions of Timeliness of a Legal Remedy
Summary of the Facts
The Federal Court deals with a complaint from David Gold, which is directed against the cantonal vote of May 18, 2025, and particularly against an alleged violation of the neutrality of the voting materials. The lower instance, the Chambre constitutionnelle of the Cour de justice of the Canton of Geneva, dismissed the complaint as late since the complainant did not comply with the six-day deadline according to cantonal law.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
9C_472/2025: Judgment Regarding Tax Periods 2009-2011 (State and Municipal Taxes, as well as Direct Federal Tax)
Summary of the Facts
The Federal Court examines the complaints of the heirs of the deceased sole shareholder regarding state and municipal taxes of the Canton of Zurich and direct federal tax for the tax periods 2009, 2010, and 2011. The dispute particularly concerns the monetary benefits from the shareholding in the now-liquidated E.________ AG. The lower instance had declared the tax claim for the period 2009 as extinguished due to assessment limitation, but upheld the reasoning for the periods 2010 and 2011.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
5A_682/2023: Judgment Regarding Administrative Penalty According to Art. 343 para. 1 lit. b ZPO in Enforcement Proceedings
Summary of the Facts
There is a dispute between A.________ (complainant) and B.________ (respondent) concerning personality infringement. The Cantonal Court of Zug imposed a prohibition on certain statements on the complainant in 2020 and threatened an administrative fine of CHF 5,000 for violations. After multiple violations of the prohibition, the respondent requested in enforcement proceedings the imposition of a total of CHF 40,000 as an administrative fine. The single judge court of the Canton of Zug reduced this amount to CHF 20,000. The High Court confirmed the amount of the administrative fine. Before the Federal Court, the complainant seeks a reduction to CHF 5,000.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
5A_532/2025: Judgment on Club Exclusion (Removal as a Club Member)
Summary of the Facts
The B.________ club, affiliated with the umbrella organization C.________, has regulated two procedures for terminating membership in its statutes: removal and exclusion. A.________ was removed by a board resolution due to disruptive behavior, which was confirmed by the club assembly. A.________ sued against the invalidity of the resolution, which was dismissed by both the District Court of Zurzach and the High Court of the Canton of Aargau. A.________ filed a complaint without responses to the Federal Court.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
5A_1118/2025: Approval of the Final Report of the KESB
Summary of the Facts
This case concerns the challenge of a decision by the KESB Dübendorf from October 1, 2024, which approved the final report of a guardian. The father of the affected child claimed that the decision had not been validly communicated to him and requested the restoration of the deadline for legal remedies. The lower instances did not consider the complaint due to the late filing of the complaint.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
8C_737/2025: Decision on Procedural Prerequisites in Accident Insurance
Summary of the Facts
The Federal Court assesses the complaint of A.________ against the judgment of the Insurance Court of the Canton of Solothurn. The subject is a procedural prerequisite in the field of accident insurance. The complaint does not meet the requirements for application and justification according to Art. 42 paras. 1 and 2 BGG, nor was a formal defect rectified in due time.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
4A_81/2025: Judgment Regarding the Implementation of an Accounting Resolution
Summary of the Facts
The Federal Court reviews the implementation of a legally binding order regarding accounting by a bank. Following a contractual order for the disclosure of documents and payment transactions, the applicants complain of incomplete information, which led to a disciplinary penalty. The complainant argues that she has fulfilled her obligations and that the penalty is disproportionate.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.
9C_631/2025: Judgment on the Requirements of a Complaint and the Validity Requirements in Health Insurance Proceedings
Summary of the Facts
The complainant A.________ filed a complaint against the judgment of the Social Insurance Court of the Canton of Zurich from September 17, 2025. It had rejected both his challenge to the objection decisions from March 18, 2025, and had annulled the legal objections in two enforcement proceedings initiated against him. The enforcement proceedings concerned outstanding premium claims, cost contributions, as well as reminder and enforcement fees of the respondent.
Complete summary of the judgment can be found in the Portal.