Switzerland’s highest court has dismissed a legal challenge brought by the parishes of Paulus and Bern-Bethlehem, clearing the remaining judicial hurdles for the formation of a unified Protestant-Reformed municipality in Bern, ref.ch reported.
Federal Court Rejects Parish Appeal
The Federal Supreme Court refused to admit the appeal. It sided directly with the regional governing council’s earlier approval of the merger contract. The dispute centered primarily on how communal assets would be divided once the administrative boundaries shift.
Voters Backed Merger in May 2025
Voters across Bern originally approved the creation of the overarching church municipality by a clear majority during a ballot on May 18, 2025. While the broader merger won public backing, the Paulus and Bern-Bethlehem congregations chose to retain their individual independence, sparking a subsequent legal conflict over asset distribution.
Court Rules Challenge Came Too Late
Judges at the Federal Supreme Court determined that voters had already settled the rules for asset allocation during the May 2025 ballot. The court noted that any formal legal challenge against those specific financial terms should have been filed within a 30-day window following the vote, rather than targeting the regional council’s later administrative decree.
Legal Clarity Secured for Bern Transition
With the high court declining to hear the case, the merger contract retains full legal validity. The Evangelical-Reformed Gesamtkirchgemeinde Bern announced that the ruling provides essential legal clarity for the upcoming structural transition.
January 2027 Launch Date Set
Preparations are now moving forward to launch the newly consolidated Bern church municipality on January 1, 2027. Concurrently, officials will continue managing asset-division protocols with the two independent holdout parishes in accordance with the original merger agreement.
