Administrative sanction

Administrative sanctions include withdrawal of licences, disciplinary measures, exclusions, surcharges, publication measures or monetary penalties under special legislation. In Swiss law they require a legal basis, public interest, proportionality and fair procedure. Some sanctions are primarily restorative or preventive, while others have punitive character; the latter may trigger safeguards comparable to criminal-law guarantees under constitutional and human-rights standards. It is important to distinguish sanctions from enforcement measures, which aim to secure performance rather than punish past misconduct.