Legal information, not legal advice. Every jurisdiction page carries its verification status and sources.

🇨🇭 Switzerland · specialised court

Federal Criminal Court

Bundesstrafgericht / Tribunal pénal fédéral

Reviewed· 2026-08-02Bellinzona

The trial court for offences that fall under federal, rather than cantonal, prosecution — chiefly organised crime, terrorism financing, corruption and complex cross-border economic crime investigated by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland. Its appeals chamber also reviews certain decisions of federal prosecutors.

How the court is constituted

Tier
specialised
Court type
First-instance court for federal criminal jurisdiction
Jurisdiction
National — organised crime, terrorism, complex economic and cross-cantonal cases
Seat
Bellinzona
Established
2004
Composition
Federal criminal judges sitting in trial and appeals chambers.
Appointment
Elected by the Federal Assembly for six-year terms.
Languages
German, French, Italian

Where an appeal goes next

Appeal to the Federal Supreme Court.

Found something out of date on Federal Criminal Court?

Corrections are reviewed against the primary source before anything changes.

Report a correction