Limits to the principle of public access to official records – protection of researchers’ privacy rights - SNF

"​The Federal Supreme Court's decision protects the privacy rights of researchers: their personal data will remain confidential. In a public deliberation, the Federal Supreme Court today debated the important question of where to draw the line between the public interest to access official records and the researchers' interest to protect their right to privacy. Based on the Freedom of Information Act, the Dignitas association had demanded access to nine approved project proposals of National Research Programme 67 'End of Life'. The Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) met this demand as far as legally permissible and granted partial access to the research proposals, while maintaining research, expert and referee confidentiality. Both the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner and the SNSF have declined the request for access to the synopsis and overall comments of the expert review because this would compromise the privacy rights of the researchers ..."