Good faith

Good faith requires parties and authorities to act honestly, loyally and without contradictory conduct. In Swiss law it is both a public-law and private-law principle. Individuals may rely on clear official assurances or settled administrative conduct when their reliance is legitimate and they have acted on it. In private law, good faith shapes interpretation, performance and the prohibition of abusive rights. It does not protect reliance that is careless, contrary to clear law or based on ambiguous information, and it is balanced against legality and public interests.