Update on the alleged cult leader case

A police stop (police power to stop) is a key tool used by the police to investigate criminal offences. It serves to establish any possible link between the person stopped and a criminal offence. The legal basis for this is set out in the Swiss Criminal Procedure Code (StPO), specifically in Art. 215 StPO. Unlike arrest under Art. 217 et seq. StPO, which is only permissible in relation to suspects, police detention does not require any specific suspicion of a crime. Furthermore, police detention must be distinguished from public security measures (such as identity checks in border areas), which serve to avert danger and maintain security and order, rather than to investigate a criminal offence. Such police checks are subject to cantonal legislation.

With the partial revision of the Anti-Money Laundering Act adopted on September 26, 2025, Switzerland is expanding the scope of application of anti-money laundering regulations. Certain professional consulting activities in connection with real estate transactions may now also fall under the scope of the law.
This may affect real estate agents and consultants who are involved in real estate transactions in particular.

On February 24, 2026, the Council of the European Union formally adopted the so-called Omnibus I Package. With this step, the EU is making a noticeable course correction in sustainability reporting — with consequences that extend well beyond the EU’s borders. At its core, the package concerns the obligation of companies to report annually on their impacts and risks in the areas of environmental, social, and governance matters — commonly referred to as ESG reporting. For Swiss SMEs, concrete questions now arise: What already applies in Switzerland today? What had the Federal Council planned? And what is actually changing now?