Federal Assembly (Switzerland) in the context of "National Council (Switzerland)"

The Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland (German: Bundesgericht [ˈbʊndəsɡəˌʁɪçt] ; French: Tribunal fédéral [tʁibynal fedeʁal]; Italian: Tribunale federale [tribuˈnaːle fedeˈraːle]; Romansh: Tribunal federal; sometimes the Swiss Federal Tribunal) is the supreme court of the Swiss Confederation and the head of the Swiss judiciary.

The Federal Supreme Court is headquartered in the Federal Courthouse in Lausanne in the canton of Vaud. Two divisions of the Federal Supreme Court, the third and the fourth public law division (until the end of 2022 the first and second social law division and formerly called Federal Insurance Court, as an organizationally independent unit of the Federal Supreme Court), are located in Lucerne. The Federal Assembly elects 40 justices to the Federal Supreme Court. The current president of the court is François Chaix.

The president of the Swiss Confederation, also known as the president of the confederation, federal president or colloquially as the president of Switzerland is, as primus inter pares among the other members of the Federal Council, the head of Switzerland's seven-member executive branch. Elected by the Federal Assembly for one year, the officeholder chairs the meetings of the Federal Council and undertakes special representational duties.

First among equals, the president of the Confederation has no powers over and above the other six councillors and continues to head the assigned department. Traditionally the duty rotates among the members in order of seniority; the vice president of the Federal Council assumes the presidency the year after the officeholder's tenure. The president of the Confederation is not the head of state because the entire Federal Council is the collective head of state.

The Council of States is a house of the Federal Assembly of Switzerland, the other house being the National Council. As the powers of the houses are the same, it is sometimes called perfect bicameralism.

It comprises 46 members. Twenty of the country's cantons are represented by two councillors each. Six cantons, traditionally called "half cantons", are represented by one councillor each for historical reasons. These are Obwalden, Nidwalden, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Appenzell Ausserrhoden and Appenzell Innerrhoden. The councillors serve for four years, and are not bound in their vote to instructions from the cantonal authorities.