In Switzerland, both private law and public law regulate consumer protection.
Private law governs the legal relationships between citizens.
Contractual relationships between consumers and suppliers are governed by the Code of Obligations , which is a federal law. Switzerland's Federal Act Against Unfair Competition applies to unfair marketing practices that affect relations between consumers and suppliers offering goods or services. A judicial authority will examine compliance with the provisions of private law only if action has been taken before a civil court judge. The State does not intervene on its own initiative. Civil procedure in Switzerland, which is a federal state, falls under the authority of the 26 federated states or cantons.