Administrative fine

Administrative fines appear in many regulatory fields, such as finance, competition, environment, transport or professional supervision. In Switzerland their legal nature depends on the statute: some are administrative sanctions, while others may be treated as criminal or quasi-criminal for procedural safeguards. A lawful fine requires a clear legal basis, competent authority, established breach, proportional amount and respect for the right to be heard. The fine must be distinguished from fees, enforcement costs and compensation, which serve different purposes.