Using emergency legislation to exclude the Freedom of Information Act
06.04.2023 - In the Emergency Ordinance of 16 March 2023 on Additional Liquidity Assistance Loans and the Granting of Federal Default Guarantees for Liquidity Assistance Loans made by the Swiss National Bank to Systemically Important Banks, the Federal Council stipulated, inter alia, that no access to official documents will be granted under the Freedom of Information Act. The exclusion of citizens' rights of access guaranteed by the Freedom of Information Act by way of an emergency ordinance raises fundamental legal issues.