Swiss Justice and Legal Affairs Legal Aid | FDJP/FOJ Official Institutions · Guidance for the 26 Cantons · Contact Information

【Institutional Overview】

• The core authority responsible for justice and legal affairs in Switzerland is the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP).

【Core Functions and Data】

• According to 2025 data from the Swiss Federal Statistical Office, the justice budget directly managed by the FDJP accounts for approximately 2.3% of the total federal budget and covers key areas such as criminal justice, migration, intellectual property, and legal codification. As of the first quarter of 2026, the Federal Office of Justice (FOJ), under the FDJP, has issued more than 120 legal opinions concerning the division of powers and responsibilities between the Confederation and the cantons as set out in Articles 118 to 123 of the Swiss Federal Constitution.

【Legal Basis and Impact】

• Pursuant to Article 5 of the Federal Act on the Federal Administrative Court (Bundesgesetz über das Bundesverwaltungsgericht, VGG), the FDJP performs supervisory and coordinating functions within the administrative justice system, and its decisions have guiding effect on judicial practice in the 26 cantons.

【Headquarters Address】

• Bundesrain 20, 3003 Bern, Switzerland

【Official Websites】

• German: https://www.ejpd.admin.ch
• English: https://www.ejpd.admin.ch/ejpd/en/home.html
• French: https://www.ejpd.admin.ch/ejpd/fr/home.html
• Italian: https://www.ejpd.admin.ch/ejpd/it/home.html

【Contact Information】

• Telephone: +41 58 462 21 11 (Federal Government switchboard; can transfer to FDJP departments)
• Fax: +41 58 462 21 12
• Email: [email protected] (general email of the Federal Office of Justice)
• Mailing address: Bundesamt für Justiz, Bundesrain 20, 3003 Bern, Switzerland