10. November 2026 | Publication
Le Tribunal fédéral a tranché: pas
d'extension du secret professionnel de
l'avocat aux juristes d'entreprise
10. November 2026 | Publication
Le Tribunal fédéral a tranché: pas
d'extension du secret professionnel de
l'avocat aux juristes d'entreprise
Andrew Garbarski/Louis Frédéric Muskens/Jérôme Léger, Le Tribunal fédéral a tranché: pas d'extension du secret professionnel de l'avocat aux juristes d'entreprise, in: verwaltungsstrafrecht.ch
In judgment 7B_544/2026 (13 October 2026), the Federal Supreme Court held that the professional secrecy of in-house counsel under Art. 167a CPC applies only in civil proceedings. The legislature's refusal to extend it amounts to a qualified silence, so there is no gap that courts could fill by analogy in criminal or administrative criminal proceedings. Key takeaway: the work of an in-house legal department is protected in civil proceedings, but not in criminal proceedings.
In judgment 7B_544/2026 (13 October 2026), the Federal Supreme Court held that the professional secrecy of in-house counsel under Art. 167a CPC applies only in civil proceedings. The legislature's refusal to extend it amounts to a qualified silence, so there is no gap that courts could fill by analogy in criminal or administrative criminal proceedings. Key takeaway: the work of an in-house legal department is protected in civil proceedings, but not in criminal proceedings.
