Seven ways the ECHR has shaped Swiss law over the years

For half a century, Switzerland has upheld the fundamental freedoms enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights – except for the rare cases when it hasn’t. We take a look at some of the key moments and court rulings along the way. In 1974, with Switzerland set to ratify the Convention, Foreign Minister Pierre Graber stuck his neck out. It would be very unlikely that Switzerland, with such high standards, will be taken to task for any violation, he predicted. For many at the time, the country’s laws were more than good enough to satisfy the Convention and its Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). They were wrong. Since then, while Switzerland has been far from the worst human rights offender in the class, it has been taken to task by the court some 140 times. And over the last half a century, such rulings, as well as the looming influence of the Convention in general, have shaped the country’s judicial system in some key ways. 1971 – better late than never ...