The Federal Department of Justice and Police is one of the seven departments of the Swiss federal government. As of 2024, it is headed by Federal Councillor Beat Jans. Until 1979, the department was known as the Department of Justice and Police.

Organisation

The department is composed of the following offices and institutes:

List of heads of the department

• 1848–1849: Henri Druey • 1850–1851: Jonas Furrer • 1852 only: Henri Druey • 1853–1854: Jonas Furrer • 1855 only: Jakob Stämpfli • 1856–1857: Jonas Furrer • 1858 only: Josef Martin Knüsel • 1859–1861: Jonas Furrer • 1861–1863: Jakob Dubs • 1864–1865: Josef Martin Knüsel • 1866 only: Jakob Dubs • 1867–1873: Josef Martin Knüsel • 1874–1875: Paul Cérésole • 1876–1880: Fridolin Anderwert • 1881 only: Emil Welti • 1882 only: Antoine Louis John Ruchonnet • 1883 only: Adolf Deucher • 1884–1893: Antoine Louis John Ruchonnet • 1894–1895: Eugène Ruffy • 1895–1897: Eduard Müller • 1897–1900: Ernst Brenner • 1901 only: Robert Comtesse • 1902–1907: Ernst Brenner • 1908 only: Josef Anton Schobinger • 1908 only: Ludwig Forrer • 1909–1911: Ernst Brenner • 1911 only: Arthur Hoffmann • 1912 only: Eduard Müller • 1913 only: Camille Decoppet • 1914–1919: Eduard Müller • 1920–1934: Heinrich Häberlin • 1934–1940: Johannes Baumann • 1941–1951: Eduard von Steiger • 1952–1958: Markus Feldmann • 1959 only: Friedrich Traugott Wahlen • 1960–1971: Ludwig von Moos • 1972–1982: Kurt Furgler • 1983–1984: Rudolf Friedrich • 1984–1989: Elisabeth Kopp • 1989–1999: Arnold Koller • 1999–2003: Ruth Metzler • 2004–2007: Christoph Blocher • 2008–2010: Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf • 2010-2018: Simonetta Sommaruga • 2019-2022: Karin Keller-Sutter • 2023 only: Élisabeth Baume-Schneider • Since 2023: Beat Jans