Executive Summary

The Supervisory Authority over the Federal Prosecutor's Office (AB-BA) has completed an inspection of the management organization. It confirms that the division of criminal proceedings into nine crime fields and their assignment to three case-handling departments is appropriate. However, the AB-BA recommends clarifying responsibilities for cross-departmental proceedings and reminds the Federal Prosecutor's Office not to handle its optional jurisdiction more restrictively than legally prescribed.

Persons

  • Federal Prosecutor (Role: Head of the Federal Prosecutor's Office)

Topics

  • Organizational structure of the Federal Prosecutor's Office
  • Crime fields and matrix organization
  • Oversight and governance

Clarus Lead

The inspection signals fundamental satisfaction with the current organizational structure of the Federal Prosecutor's Office, but also identifies a need for action in coordinating complex, cross-departmental proceedings. Particularly relevant is the AB-BA's directive on restrictive handling of optional federal jurisdiction – a signal that the Federal Prosecutor's Office must review its interpretation of its competencies.

Detailed Summary

The inspection, titled "Management Organization of the Federal Prosecutor's Office: Crime Fields and Matrix Organization," credits the Federal Prosecutor's Office with flexibility and adaptability. The nine crime fields have proven themselves; the creation of a new cybercrime field demonstrates responsiveness to emerging threats. The departments are headed by Senior Public Prosecutors who approve final dispositions. Crime field managers assume central roles in knowledge transfer without holding formal management functions in individual proceedings.

The AB-BA identifies a central problem with cross-departmental proceedings: combinations such as money laundering with criminal organizations or sanctions violations affect multiple crime fields in separate departments. Coordination occurs through the new Operations Department, but the distribution of responsibilities between the Senior Public Prosecutor of this department and the Deputy Federal Prosecutor requires clarification. The AB-BA also recommends that the Economic Crime Department separate the leadership of the department from the leadership of its four locations. The UNAVOCE project with its partially completed crime field analyses is considered of little relevance for investigative proceedings; the AB-BA recommends its discontinuation.

Key Statements

  • The division into nine crime fields and three case-handling departments is appropriate and has proven effective in practice.
  • The permeability between crime fields enables flexible resource allocation and personnel development.
  • Cross-departmental proceedings require clearer responsibility rules, particularly between the Operations Department and the Deputy Federal Prosecutor.
  • The Federal Prosecutor's Office must interpret its optional jurisdiction strictly according to law and case law, not more restrictively.
  • The Economic Crime Department should optimize its management structure across four locations.

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence: What data basis underlies the assessment of the "appropriateness" of the nine crime fields – were case numbers, processing times, or success rates analyzed?

  2. Causality: To what extent does the current matrix organization actually contribute to better investigation results, or is it primarily an administrative convention?

  3. Feasibility: How concrete are the recommendations for clarifying responsibilities for cross-departmental proceedings – what deadline does the AB-BA set for implementation?

  4. Conflicts of Interest: Is the restrictive practice regarding optional federal jurisdiction in the General Economic Crime field driven by resource scarcity or by strategic priorities?

  5. Data Quality: What validity do the "only partially completed" crime field analyses of the UNAVOCE project have – why were they not fully completed before recommending discontinuation?

  6. Side Effects: Can the separation of department leadership and location leadership in Economic Crime be implemented without coordination losses?

Source Directory

Primary Source: Supervisory Authority over the Federal Prosecutor's Office (AB-BA): Inspection Report "Management Organization of the Federal Prosecutor's Office: Crime Fields and Matrix Organization" – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/fH9VK-jPiAREo-ZgY_hTL (23.06.2026)

Verification Status: ✓ 23.06.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 23.06.2026