The General Secretariat provides the necessary infrastructure for day-to-day operations at the FAC and assists the divisions with a large number of scientific and administrative support services. These services are also offered to the Federal Patent Court (FPC) against payment.
The General Secretariat is made up of several departments: Scientific Services, Finance and Services, Human Resources, IT, Communication, Legal and Registry Services, InfoSec and Staff & Supports. It is also entrusted with the administrative supervision of the Federal Compulsory Purchase Commissions. The General Secretariat manages the broad range of tasks in its remit with a staff of some 80 employees.
Sara Szabo was designated Executive Secretary of the Federal Administrative Court in November 2023. Together with Bernhard Fasel, the Deputy Executive Secretary, she manages the secretariats of the Plenary Court, the Presidential Council and the Administrative Commission. The General Secretariat management attends the meetings of the executive bodies in an advisory capacity, and is responsible for preparing and implementing the resolutions adopted. Together with the Court Presidium and other members of the Administrative Commission, the Executive Secretary attends the supervisory meetings with the Federal Court and the parliamentary committees.
Sara Szabo
Executive Secretary
-
Scientific services
Scientific Services ensures access to information thanks to comprehensive data and knowledge management and the Court’s own library. The department also provides non-legal expertise in business administration, economics and country analyses. Moreover, it is responsible for publishing Court decisions in the electronic decisions database and in the official compilation of decisions of the Federal Administrative Court.
Bernhard Fasel
Head of Scientific Service - Deputy Executive Secretary
-
Finance and Services
The Finances and Services department is in charge of financial planning and budgeting, book-keeping, accounting procedures, controlling and quality control. Moreover, it is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure, securing in-house support services, and meeting growing demands in terms of security. These activities are subdivided into facility management, reception and security, and operations.
Giovanni Urgesi
Head of Finance and Services
-
Human Resources
The HR department is responsible for all personnel-related processes: administration, planning, recruitment, management, remuneration, personnel and organisation development, and departures. Following an holistic approach, HR supports managers and employees in all employment-related matters and in their personal career development.
Further information
-
IT services
The IT department is responsible for IT planning and strategy, procurement of IT services (external and FOITT), provision of IT infrastructure, training and advanced training in court-specific software solutions (e.g. business administration and case allocation software, and internal online forums) and for IT project implementation. IT operations are conducted in co-operation with the Federal Office of Information Technology, Systems and Telecommunications (FOITT).
Muriel Schwenzel
Head of IT
-
Communication
This department is in charge of internal and external communication. It is notably responsible for relations with the public and the media, for publication of the annual report, employee magazine, for the intranet, website and internet presence, for the social media channels and all Court brochures.
Further information
-
Legal and Registry Services
The Legal and Registry Services department supports the executive bodies with legal analyses and reference papers. It prepares internal rules and regulations and represents the Court in appeals and other proceedings outside the remit of the Divisions. This department also participates in legislative work and prepares opinions for the Federal Council and Parliament. Registry Services include the Central Registry and co-ordination between the divisional registries.
-
Staff & Supports
The Staff & Supports department provides administrative support to the Presidium, the Executive Secretary and to Legal Services. It is responsible for the organisation and documentation of the meetings of the executive bodies. It is also in charge of language services.
Sandrine Kuster
Head of Staff & Supports
-
InfoSec FAC
InfoSec FAC comprises the Information Security Officer (ISO) and his or her deputy; it is the central contact point for all matters relating to information security and data protection. InfoSec is also responsible for external enquiries in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. The ISO has a more legal focus and combines the roles of data protection officer, information security officer and public information officer. The deputy ISO is mainly concerned with IT security-related matters and assures the necessary technical expertise.
Norbert Kissling
Information Security Officer