High court reduces sentence against SF employee
In its second ruling, the Zurich High Court has once again sentenced several employees of Swiss television to suspended fines. The case involved secret filming of the program *Kassensturz*. The sentences were slightly reduced compared to those handed down in the first trial before the High Court in 2007.
The Zurich High Court has once again sentenced several Swiss television employees to conditional fines at the second attempt. The case concerned secret filming of the program Kassensturz. As the SDA writes in a press release, the sentence has now been slightly reduced compared to the first trial before the high court in 2007. At that time, the defendants received conditional fines of up to 15 daily rates. The reduced sentence is due to the acquittal of the accusation of violation of confidentiality and privacy.
Editor-in-chief Ueli Haldimann received a conditional fine of twelve daily rates of CHF 350, former editorial director Hansjörg Utz twelve daily rates of CHF 200 and a female editor twelve daily rates of CHF 100 on probation. A part-time employee got off the lightest. According to the verdict published on Wednesday, she received a conditional fine of four daily rates of 30 francs.
The TV employees had lodged an appeal against the first High Court ruling with the Federal Supreme Court. Last fall, the Federal Supreme Court confirmed the ruling of the High Court in principle, but sent it back to the High Court for a reassessment of the sentence. However, the Supreme Court held that the journalists' actions could not be justified on the grounds of professional journalistic duties or the protection of legitimate interests. For example, it would not have been necessary to secretly record the conversations with insurance agents.
In February 2003, Kassensturz secretly filmed consultations between insurance agents and a decoy in a private apartment. The aim of the broadcast was to expose shortcomings in insurance advice.
Editor-in-chief Ueli Haldimann received a conditional fine of twelve daily rates of CHF 350, former editorial director Hansjörg Utz twelve daily rates of CHF 200 and a female editor twelve daily rates of CHF 100 on probation. A part-time employee got off the lightest. According to the verdict published on Wednesday, she received a conditional fine of four daily rates of 30 francs.
The TV employees had lodged an appeal against the first High Court ruling with the Federal Supreme Court. Last fall, the Federal Supreme Court confirmed the ruling of the High Court in principle, but sent it back to the High Court for a reassessment of the sentence. However, the Supreme Court held that the journalists' actions could not be justified on the grounds of professional journalistic duties or the protection of legitimate interests. For example, it would not have been necessary to secretly record the conversations with insurance agents.
In February 2003, Kassensturz secretly filmed consultations between insurance agents and a decoy in a private apartment. The aim of the broadcast was to expose shortcomings in insurance advice.
