Nora Markwalder, former prosecutor and professor of criminal law and criminology at the University of St. Gallen, joins me to unpack how Switzerland’s criminal justice system really works. Drawing on her deep experience across criminal procedure, white-collar crime, and criminology, Nora explains what happens from the moment a crime is investigated all the way to sentencing.
Expect to learn how Switzerland’s justice system compares to countries like France, Germany, and the U.S., why rehabilitation is prioritized over punishment, and how the controversial juvenile justice framework operates. Nora also discusses what life is like inside Swiss prisons, how criminal records affect future employment, and the ways Switzerland handles international and immigration-related legal cases. If you’re curious about Swiss law, justice philosophy, or crime trends, this conversation is packed with insights.
CONTACT Nora
linkedin.com/in/nora-markwalder-4277765b
CONTACT MIKE
https://howitticks.ch/contact-page/
TRANSCRIPT
https://howitticks.ch/podcast/justice-in-switzerland/
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Foreigners in the Swiss justice system: are they treated differently?
04:00 How the juvenile justice system works—and why 18 is a hard cutoff
10:00 Trends in Swiss crime rates and the legacy of Zurich’s heroin epidemic
18:00 The role of victims in Swiss criminal cases and the limits of restorative justice
24:00 Political influence on Swiss criminal law through public votes
30:00 What Nora would change about the justice system + the impact of AI on legal work
