Public interest

Public interest is a central requirement for restricting rights and for many administrative measures. In Switzerland it includes interests recognised by the legal order, such as public safety, health, spatial planning, environmental protection, social policy and the protection of others’ rights. It is not a free-standing licence for government action: the measure must have a legal basis where required, pursue a genuine public aim and satisfy proportionality. Courts usually review whether the invoked interest is legitimate and sufficiently weighty in the concrete context.