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- Art. 3 FC
- Art. 5a FC
- Art. 6 FC
- Art. 10 FC
- Art. 16 FC
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- Art. 29a FC
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- Art. 43 FC
- Art. 43a FC
- Art. 55 FC
- Art. 56 FC
- Art. 60 FC
- Art. 68 FC
- Art. 75b FC
- Art. 77 FC
- Art. 96 para. 2 lit. a FC
- Art. 110 FC
- Art. 117a FC
- Art. 118 FC
- Art. 123b FC
- Art. 136 FC
- Art. 166 FC
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- Art. 11 CO
- Art. 12 CO
- Art. 50 CO
- Art. 51 CO
- Art. 84 CO
- Art. 143 CO
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- Art. 149 CO
- Art. 150 CO
- Art. 701 CO
- Art. 715 CO
- Art. 715a CO
- Art. 734f CO
- Art. 785 CO
- Art. 786 CO
- Art. 787 CO
- Art. 788 CO
- Transitional provisions to the revision of the Stock Corporation Act of June 19, 2020
- Art. 808c CO
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- Art. 2 PRA
- Art. 3 PRA
- Art. 4 PRA
- Art. 6 PRA
- Art. 10 PRA
- Art. 10a PRA
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- Art. 59a PRA
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- Art. 62 PRA
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- Art. 67 PRA
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- Art. 73 PRA
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- Art. 90 PRA
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- Vorb. zu Art. 1 FADP
- Art. 1 FADP
- Art. 2 FADP
- Art. 3 FADP
- Art. 5 lit. f und g FADP
- Art. 6 Abs. 6 and 7 FADP
- Art. 7 FADP
- Art. 10 FADP
- Art. 11 FADP
- Art. 12 FADP
- Art. 14 FADP
- Art. 15 FADP
- Art. 19 FADP
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- Art. 25 FADP
- Art. 26 FADP
- Art. 27 FADP
- Art. 31 para. 2 lit. e FADP
- Art. 33 FADP
- Art. 34 FADP
- Art. 35 FADP
- Art. 38 FADP
- Art. 39 FADP
- Art. 40 FADP
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- Art. 42 FADP
- Art. 43 FADP
- Art. 44 FADP
- Art. 44a FADP
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- Art. 46 FADP
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- Art. 47a FADP
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- Art. 63 FADP
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- Art. 65 FADP
- Art. 66 FADP
- Art. 67 FADP
- Art. 69 FADP
- Art. 72 FADP
- Art. 72a FADP
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- Art. 2 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 3 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 4 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 5 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 6 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 7 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 8 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 9 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 11 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 12 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 25 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 29 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 32 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 33 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
- Art. 34 CCC (Convention on Cybercrime)
FEDERAL CONSTITUTION
CODE OF OBLIGATIONS
FEDERAL LAW ON PRIVATE INTERNATIONAL LAW
LUGANO CONVENTION
CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE
CIVIL PROCEDURE CODE
FEDERAL ACT ON POLITICAL RIGHTS
CIVIL CODE
FEDERAL ACT ON CARTELS AND OTHER RESTRAINTS OF COMPETITION
FEDERAL ACT ON INTERNATIONAL MUTUAL ASSISTANCE IN CRIMINAL MATTERS
DEBT ENFORCEMENT AND BANKRUPTCY ACT
FEDERAL ACT ON DATA PROTECTION
SWISS CRIMINAL CODE
CYBERCRIME CONVENTION
- I. In general, on special types of proceedings
- II. In particular, the independent forfeiture proceedings (Art. 376-378 CrimPC)
- III. CrimPC revision
- Bibliography
- Materials
I. In general, on special types of proceedings
1 The Swiss Criminal Procedure Code (CrimPC) consists of 12 titles. While the (ordinary) main proceedings at first instance are regulated in Title 7, Title 8 contains provisions on special types of proceedings. These include summary proceedings and proceedings for minor offenses, abbreviated proceedings, proceedings for independent subsequent decisions by the court, proceedings in the absence of the accused, and independent proceedings for the imposition of measures. In the latter case, the CrimPC distinguishes between the ordering of a surety, proceedings for an accused who is not criminally liable, and independent proceedings for the forfeiture of property.
2 Measures within the meaning of the SCC are generally ordered in the context of the first-instance main proceedings, in which the indictment against a specific person or specific persons for specific criminal acts is dealt with and judged. However, there are situations in which measures may need to be ordered outside of the ordinary main proceedings. These constellations are the subject of the independent proceedings regulated in the CrimPC.
II. In particular, the independent forfeiture proceedings (Art. 376-378 CrimPC)
3 The independent forfeiture proceedings under Art. 376-378 CrimPC are a special type of procedure in the sense described above. This type of procedure is “special” because forfeiture under Art. 69 et seq. SCC is generally ordered accessorily as part of ordinary criminal proceedings against one or more defendants.
4 As a rule, the order of confiscation is thus made together with the substantive assessment of the offense. Accessory confiscation can be ordered either by the court in its judgment on the merits of the case (Art. 351 para. 1 CrimPC) or by the public prosecutor in the penalty order (Art. 352 para. 2 CrimPC).
5 In most cases, accessory forfeiture is ordered in a criminal conviction. However, it is also possible that an acquittal or a dismissal of proceedings is accessory to a forfeiture. This is because the order of forfeiture is generally issued without regard to the punishability of a specific person. A factual and unlawful (but not necessarily culpable) underlying offense is sufficient.
6 The terms “proceedings in personam” and “proceedings in rem” are sometimes used as synonyms for accessory and independent forfeiture respectively.
7 It is the responsibility of the competent authority to examine the question of forfeiture ex officio and with the necessary diligence. The order of this substantive criminal law measure is in principle mandatory if the statutory requirements are met.
8 According to the case law of the Federal Supreme Court, the forfeiture proceedings should not be decoupled from pending criminal proceedings without good cause, since it is primarily in the criminal proceedings that a decision must be made as to whether a criminal offense has been committed and whether the object or asset has been produced or acquired as a result. In this sense, it is rightly pointed out in the literature that the possibility of independent forfeiture under Art. 376 et seq. of the Swiss Criminal Procedure Code (CrimPC) is not a free pass to only worry about the financial consequences of an offense.
9 The possibility of conducting independent forfeiture proceedings is not only provided for under the CrimPC (see Art. 1 CrimPC). Rather, the Federal Act on Administrative Criminal Law (ACLA) also provides for this possibility in Art. 66 ACLA in the context of administrative criminal proceedings, i.e. in cases in which the prosecution and judgment of violations is delegated to a federal administrative authority (Art. 1 ACLA).
III. CrimPC revision
10 As part of the last revision of the CrimPC, which came into force on January 1, 2024, the provisions regarding the independent forfeiture procedure were also partially amended. The changes and additions concern Art. 377 CrimPC and thus the only CrimPC provision that deals with the independent forfeiture procedure. This will be discussed in more detail in the commentary on the article in question.
About the author
Dr. iur. Tommaso Caprana, attorney-at-law, CAS Forensics, is a law clerk at the Second Criminal Division of the Swiss Federal Supreme Court in Lausanne.
Bibliography
Baumann Florian, Kommentierung zu Art. 70/71 StGB; in: Niggli Marcel Alexander/Wiprächtiger Hans (Hrsg.), Basler Kommentar, Strafrecht, Band I, 4. Aufl., Basel 2019.
Baumann Florian, Kommentierung zu Art. 376 StPO, in: Niggli Marcel Alexander/Heer Marianne/Wiprächtiger Hans (Hrsg.), Basler Kommentar, Schweizerische Strafprozessordnung, 3. Aufl., Basel 2023.
Bernasconi Paolo, Kommentierung zu Art. 376 StPO, in: Bernasconi Paolo/Galliani Maria/Marcellini Luca/Meli Edy/Mini Mauro/Noseda John (Hrsg.), Commentario, Codice svizzero di procedura penale, Zürich/St. Gallen 2010.
Conti Christelle/Tunik Daniel, Kommentierung zu Art. 376 StPO, in: Jeanneret Yvan/Kuhn André/Perrier Depeursinge Camille (Hrsg.), Commentaire romand, Code de procédure pénale suisse, 2. Aufl., Basel 2019.
Daphinoff Michael, Kommentierung zu Art. 352 StPO, in: Niggli Marcel Alexander/Heer Marianne/Wiprächtiger Hans (Hrsg.), Basler Kommentar, Schweizerische Strafprozessordnung, 3. Aufl., Basel 2023.
Frank Friedrich, Kommentierung zu Art. 66 VStrR, in: Markwalder Nora/Eicker Andreas/Frank Friedrich/Achermann Jonas (Hrsg.), Basler Kommentar, Verwaltungsstrafrecht, Basel 2020.
Frank Friedrich/Caprara Tommaso, Die selbständige Einziehung im Verwaltungsstrafverfahren (Art. 66 VStrR), forumpoenale 2 (2018), S. 118 ff.
Garland Lorenz/Frank Friedrich, Kritische Anmerkungen zu BGer, Urteil vom 1.4.2020, 6B_178/2019, forumpoenale 6 (2020), S. 479 ff.
Heimgartner Stefan/Niggli Marcel Alexander, Kommentierung zu Art. 351 StPO, in: Niggli Marcel Alexander/Heer Marianne/Wiprächtiger Hans (Hrsg.), Basler Kommentar, Schweizerische Strafprozessordnung, 3. Aufl., Basel 2023.
Jeanneret Yvan/Kuhn André, Précis de procédure pénale, 2. Aufl., Bern 2018.
Jositsch Daniel/Ege Gian/Schwarzenegger Christian, Strafrecht II, Strafen und Massnahmen, 9. Aufl., Zürich 2018.
Jositsch Daniel/Schmid Niklaus, Schweizerische Strafprozessordnung, Praxiskommentar, 4. Aufl., Zürich 2023.
Markwalder Nora/Frank Friedrich, Die Beschlagnahme im selbständigen Einziehungsverfahren des Verwaltungsstrafrechts, forumpoenale 2 (2023), S. 143 ff.
Nadelhofer Do Canto Simone, Vermögenseinziehung bei Wirtschafts- und Unternehmensdelikten (Art. 70 f. StGB), Zürich 2008.
Oberholzer Niklaus, Grundzüge des Strafprozessrechts, 4. Aufl., Bern 2020.
Pitteloud Jo, Code de procédure pénale suisse (CPP), Commentaire à l'usage des praticiens, Zürich/St. Gallen 2012.
Schmid Niklaus, Kommentierung zu Art. 70-72 StGB, in: Schmid Niklaus (Hrsg.), Kommentar Einziehung, Organisiertes Verbrechen, Geldwäscherei, Band I, 2. Aufl., Zürich 2007.
Scholl Marcel, Kommentierung zu Art. 70 StGB, in: Jürg-Beat Ackermann (Hrsg.), Kommentar Kriminelles Vermögen - Kriminelle Organisationen, Band I, Zürich 2018.
Schwarzenegger Christian, Kommentierung zu Art. 376 StPO, in: Donatsch Andreas/Lieber Viktor/Summers Sarah/Wohlers Wolfgang (Hrsg.), Kommentar zur Schweizerischen Strafprozessordnung (StPO), 3. Aufl., Zürich 2020.
Thommen Marc, Kommentierung zu Art. 69 StGB, in: Jürg-Beat Ackermann (Hrsg.), Kommentar Kriminelles Vermögen - Kriminelle Organisationen, Band I, Zürich 2018.
Weingart Denise, Das Einspracheverfahren gegen den selbstständigen Einziehungsbefehl nach Art. 377 Abs. 4 StPO, Besonderheiten und offene Fragen, in: Bopp Dominik/Kistler Alexander/Lisik Natalie/Reber Kristof (Hrsg.), Der Prozess, Zürich 2023, S. 261 ff.
Materials
Botschaft vom 30.6.1993 über die Änderung des Schweizerischen Strafgesetzbuches und des Militärstrafgesetzes (Revision des Einziehungsrechts, Strafbarkeit der kriminellen Organisation, Melderecht des Financiers), BBl 1993 III 277 ff. (zit. Botschaft 1993).
Botschaft vom 21.12.2005 zur Vereinheitlichung des Strafprozessrechts, BBl 2006 1085 ff. (zit. Botschaft StPO).
Botschaft vom 28.8.2019 zur Änderung der Strafprozessordnung (Umsetzung der Motion 14.3383, Kommission für Rechtsfragen des Ständerats, Anpassung der Strafprozessordnung), BBl 2019 6697 ff. (zit. Botschaft 2019).