Federal Court

A controversial provision in the Bern Police Act is the requirement for video surveillance in municipalities. (Featured image)

A controversial provision in the Bern Police Act is the requirement for video surveillance in municipalities. (Featured image)

Keystone

The Federal Supreme Court has ruled that the provision regarding body cameras in the Bern Police Act is invalid. The provision is intended for criminal prosecution but may only be used for preventive purposes. Therefore, the section of the law is being repealed.

Keystone-SDA

Keystone-SDA

12.08.2026, 13:03

It is also impermissible to store non-matches in databases used for automated vehicle searches. Otherwise, according to the Federal Court, this constitutes disproportionate data retention. The court ruled that the requirement for immediate deletion must be explicitly stipulated in the law.

Taking a photograph of the vehicle’s occupants is considered problematic if a match is found when the license plate is checked against the databases. This is deemed a serious infringement of fundamental rights. Therefore, photographs may not be taken in cases of minor offenses. This article is therefore repealed.