What the Silex legal database covers
Federal law, cantonal law across all 26 cantons, federal and cantonal case law, ECHR, administrative publications and more — updated weekly.
Which sources does Silex search by default?
By default, Silex draws on Swiss federal law, cantonal law and federal and cantonal case law. Additional source families — administrative publications, ECHR, web and doctrine — are activated through the "Additional data" filter before sending your question.
Are all cantons covered?
Yes. All 26 cantons are covered. If cantonal sources are not appearing in your answers, the cause is almost always the canton filter: mentioning a canton in the text of your question does not activate cantonal sources. You have to select the canton in the filter before sending. See the article on filters.
How often is the database updated?
The legal database is updated weekly. For a very recent ruling published in the days before your search, cross-check against the official source before relying on it.
What is covered under "Administration publications"?
This option adds sources such as social insurance material, foreign nationals law (few sources at this stage), federal tax circulars, FINMA, collective labour agreements, cantonal and intercantonal tax circulars, banking directives, European regulations, and intellectual property.
Is the ECHR covered?
Yes. The ECHR option covers the full set of sources related to the European Court of Human Rights. It is activated through the "Additional data" filter.
Is legal doctrine available?
Partially, and it is worth being precise about what this covers today. The "Doctrine and legal commentary" option currently gives access to two things: online commentaries available as open-source content on the web, and doctrinal citations contained within court rulings themselves. It is not a full doctrinal library, and the major commercial commentaries are not included at this stage. Broader doctrinal coverage is planned, but no delivery date is communicated. In the meantime, if your research depends on a specific commentary, treat Silex as the tool that identifies the relevant provisions and case law, and consult the commentary itself separately.
What does the "Web" option add?
It broadens the search to complementary sources beyond statutes and case law: draft legislation, official websites, legislative debates. Note that these external sources do not come from the Silex database, so enhanced verification is recommended on anything they support.
Does the language of a source limit what Silex finds?
No. Silex searches sources across French, German and Italian regardless of the language you asked your question in, and answers you in your own language.