From Carl Stooss to Life Imprisonment: Changes in the Swiss Criminal Code

Carl Stooß, the father of the Swiss criminal code, is also the founder of the safety measures in Switzerland. Penalties and safety measures developed as a harmonious system: both were pronounced but the measure had priority on the penalty. The first global revision of the general part of the criminal code, which entered in force on 1 January 2007, disrupted this system, by providing for the cumulative application of a penalty followed by a measure. The revision has also been influenced by a strong need for the reinforcement of public security to the detriment of the individual liberties.