Arrest warrant

An arrest warrant authorises authorities to take a person into custody, usually because the person is suspected of an offence, has failed to appear, or must be brought before a court. Legal systems differ on who may issue it and what evidentiary threshold is required. In Switzerland, deprivation of liberty requires a legal basis, proportionality and procedural safeguards, with judicial control for detention. Comparative references to warrants should not obscure urgent arrest powers, summons procedures and the distinct rules governing pre-trial detention.