How are the judges of the Federal Supreme Court appointed?

Federal judges are elected by the United Federal Assembly, that is, by the National Council and the Council of States together, for six years.

Common mistakes

D: The Federal Council has the right to appoint judges.

The Federal Council is the government. Because of the separation of powers, it may not appoint judges.

B: Through a normal application process with a job interview.

You can apply, but in the end an election in Parliament decides, not a job interview.

A: By the cantonal parliaments. Each canton can provide one judge.

The cantons only elect their own cantonal judges. Federal judges are elected by the Federal Parliament.

Courts and police

Judges work at courts. Their task is to deliver judgments. They decide whether someone has broken a law and what punishment they receive. They also decide disputes between people or with authorities. They do not defend the accused; a lawyer does that. Nor do they write laws; Parliament does that.

How the state works
Separation of powers

Sources

• zh.ch
• parlament.ch
• ch.ch

Last checked: September 2026

Question 97 of the official question list of the Canton of Zurich (Gemeindeamt, May 2025). Translation and explanation: Swiss Passport.

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