in the service of associations

Tools for associations

Legal bases

The main articles of the law

Below you will find the main legal bases listed by keyword and including a link to the original text.

The law of associations is governed by Art. 60–79 (Law of Persons – Legal Entities (which also include foundations) – Section Two – Associations) of the Swiss Civil Code [Schweizerisches Zivilgesetzbuch, ZGB].

In addition, various articles of the Swiss Federal Constitution [Bundesverfassung, BV] focus on fundamental democratic rights, for instance the freedom to establish associations and the freedom of opinion.

The legal bases for the employment of persons and the regulations applying to unregistered partnerships and cooperatives are set out in the Swiss Code of Obligations [Obligationenrecht, OR].

Accounting (Art. 69a CC)

Administrator (Art. 69c CC)

Ancillary staff (Art. 55 CO)

Associations (Art. 60 to 79 CC)

Associations lacking legal personality (Art. 62 CC)

Auditors (Art. 69b CC)

Capacity of judgement (Art. 16 CC)

Capacity to act (Art. 54 CC)

Commercial register, deletion (Art. 79 CC)

Commercial register, entry (Art. 61 CC)

Committee (Art. 69 CC)

Cooperative (Art. 828 to 926 CO)

Dissolution by operation of law (Art. 77 CC)

Dissolution by resolution of the members (Art. 76 CC)

Duty to pay subscriptions (Art. 71 CC)

Employment Contract (Art. 319 and seq. CO)

Exclusion (Art. 72 CC)

Extraordinary meeting of members (Art. 64 CC Par. 3)

Federal Act on Copyright and Related Rights (Art. 2 CopA)

Formation (Art. 60 CC)

Foundations (Art. 80 to 89 CC)

Freedom of assembly (Art. 22 Cst.)

Freedom of association (Art. 23 Cst.)

Freedom of expression and of information (Art.16 Cst.)

General meeting (Art. 64 CC)

General meeting, powers (Art. 65 CC)

Legal capacity (Art. 53 CC)

Liability (Art. 75a CC)

Majority (Art. 67 CC Par. 2)

Membership (Art. 70 CC)

Membership, status of former members (Art. 73 CC)

Objects (Art. 78 CC)

Proper notice (Art. 67 CC Par. 3)

Protection of one's name (Art. 29 CC)

Protection of the objects of the association (Art. 74 CC)

Relationship between articles of association and the law (Art. 63 CC)

Resolutions (Art. 66 CC)

Resolutions, challenge in court (Art. 75 CC)

Right to form professional associations (Art. 28 Cst.)

Simple Partnership (Art. 530 and seq. CO)

Voting rights (Art. 67 CC Par. 1)

Voting rights, exclusion (Art. 68 CC)