Swiss Criminal Procedure Code
(Criminal Procedure Code, CrimPC)

¹ The pub­lic pro­sec­utor shall open an in­vest­ig­a­tion if:

a.

there is a reas­on­able sus­pi­cion that an of­fence has been com­mit­ted based on the in­form­a­tion and re­ports from the po­lice, the com­plaint or its own find­ings;

b.

it in­tends to or­der com­puls­ory meas­ures;

c.

it has re­ceived in­form­a­tion from the po­lice in terms of Art­icle 307 para­graph 1.

² It may re­turn po­lice re­ports and crim­in­al com­plaints that do not con­tain clear in­dic­a­tions that an of­fence has been com­mit­ted to the po­lice so that they may carry out ad­di­tion­al en­quir­ies.

³ It shall open the in­vest­ig­a­tion by is­su­ing a rul­ing in which it shall name the ac­cused and the of­fence that he or she is sus­pec­ted of com­mit­ting. The rul­ing need not con­tain a state­ment of reas­ons or be made pub­lic. It is non-con­test­able.

⁴ The pub­lic pro­sec­utor may not open an in­vest­ig­a­tion if it im­me­di­ately is­sues a no-pro­ceed­ings or­der or a sum­mary pen­alty or­der.