Professional secrecy

Professional secrecy covers information entrusted to professionals such as lawyers, doctors, clergy, and other protected roles in the course of their work. In Swiss proceedings it intersects with evidence law: a person bound by secrecy may have a right or duty to refuse testimony or production of documents, subject to statutory exceptions, consent, or release by the competent authority. The rule protects trust, privacy, and proper professional advice, but it must be balanced against the court’s search for the truth and overriding public interests.