English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
of 5 October 2007 (Status as of 1 July 2021)
Art. 169Right to refuse to testify for personal protection or to protect closely related persons
1 A person may the refuse to testify if he or she would incriminate him or herself by testifying such that he or she:
a.
could be found guilty of an offence;
b.
could be held liable under the civil law and the interest in protection outweighs the interest in prosecution.
2 The right to refuse to testify also applies if the person by testifying would incriminate a closely related person as defined in Article 168 paragraphs 1–3; Article 168 paragraph 4 remains reserved.
3 A person may refuse to testify if by testifying he or she or a closely related person as defined in Article 168 paragraphs 1–3 would be exposed to a considerable risk to life and limb or other serious detriment that cannot be prevented by taking protective measures.
4 A victim of a sexual offence may in every case refuse to answer questions that relate to his or her private domain.