Archiving Act (ArchA)
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Art. 4 Archiving responsibilities
1 The Federal Archives shall archive the documents of the Confederation. 2 The archiving of cantonal documents that have originated in the conduct of federal tasks is the responsibility of the cantons, unless a federal act provides otherwise. 3 The Swiss National Bank and autonomous institutions designated by the Federal Council are responsible for the archiving of their own documents in accordance with the principles of this Act. 4 The Federal Criminal Court, Federal Administrative Court, Federal Patent Court and the federal appeals and arbitration commissions shall offer their documents to the Federal Archives for safekeeping in the event that they are themselves unable to archive the documents in accordance with the principles of this Act. 5 Other public or private law bodies, provided they carry out executive tasks delegated to them by the Confederation, are themselves responsible for the archiving of related documents in accordance with the principles of this Act or shall offer th
Para. 4 — Amended by No I 1 of the Federal Act of 28 Sept. 2012 on the Amendment of Procedural Provisions on Lawyers' Professional Secrecy, in force since 1 May 2013 (AS 2013 847; BBl 2011 8181).
Art. 5 Information and records management
1 The Federal Archives shall advise the offices required to offer their records for safekeeping on the organisation, management, preservation and delivery of their documents. It may also offer such services to other bodies. 2 It has the power to consult registries or information management centres of the offices required to offer their records for safekeeping and to consult the condition of the documents held there. 3 It shall issue directives to the offices required to offer their records for safekeeping on: a. the management, preservation and delivery of documents; b. the creation and management of parallel archives.
Art. 6 Obligation to offer records for safekeeping
The bodies designated in Article 1 paragraph 1 must offer all documents that they no longer constantly require to the Federal Archives for safekeeping, provided they are not themselves responsible for their archiving.
Art. 7 Assessment of the archival value and acceptance of documents
1 The Federal Archives, in cooperation with the bodies designated in Article 1 paragraph 1, shall decide whether documents are of archival value. 2 Documents that are assessed as being of archival value must be delivered to the Federal Archives by the bodies required to offer their records for safekeeping. Offices not required to offer their records for safekeeping are responsible for their own archiving. 3 The Federal Archives may temporarily safeguard documents that are assessed as not being of archival value if such safeguarding is required by federal law.
Art. 8 Destruction of documents
1 Documents that are subject to the obligation to be offered for safekeeping must not be destroyed without the consent of the Federal Archives. 2 The Federal Archives may not destroy documents without the consent of the body that has delivered them.