After turmoil surrounding lovers Expert panel to clarify relationship between federal judges
What happens when two members of the court get close after taking office? Independent experts are now to clarify this. There should also be "unmistakable behavioral expectations".
07.05.2026, 19:01
07.05.2026, 19:19
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- The Administrative Commission of the Federal Supreme Court has commissioned two experts to independently clarify the issue of relationships between federal judges.
- A love affair between two members of the Federal Supreme Court had previously come to light.
- Next week, an extraordinary meeting of federal judges is to set out "unequivocal expectations of conduct".
Federal judge Beatrice van de Graaf and federal judge Yves Donzallaz are said to have broken up again. Nevertheless, the Administrative Commission of the Federal Supreme Court is questioning the independence of Switzerland's highest court. An independent panel of experts is now to get to the bottom of this.
An external expert is to clarify the "facts of the case" between Federal Judge van de Graaf and Federal Judge Donzallaz - and then report back to the Administrative Commission of the Federal Supreme Court, according to a statement from the Federal Supreme Court on Thursday.
Their relationship became public in the media at the end of April. "Immediately after becoming aware of this", the Administrative Commission summoned the two parties concerned to a hearing.
The Federal Supreme Court announced that Federal Judge Donzallaz, as President, and Federal Judge van de Graaf, as the third member, had been members of the Administrative Committee in 2023 and 2024. Both state that their relationship would have ended before the news was made public.
Internal measures announced
In order to preserve the independence of the Federal Supreme Court "at all levels", the Administrative Commission had decided to entrust a professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Geneva and a former President of the Cantonal Court of Vaud with the investigation of these "facts".
However, the Administrative Commission also announced internal measures: Next Wednesday, for example, all ordinary federal judges will be convened for an extraordinary meeting. The agenda includes a discussion on the "practices of judges at the Federal Supreme Court". The Federal Supreme Court wrote that clarification may be required.
The Administrative Commission is concerned with defining expectations of conduct "unequivocally" - in the event that a closer relationship arises between members of the court.