# OpenCaseLaw — Swiss Caselaw, Statutes & Doctrine (remote · mcp.opencaselaw.ch)

1M+ Swiss court decisions, statutes & doctrine with citation graph (DE/FR/IT). CC0, free, 42 tools.

- Trust score: 55/100 (low)
- Registry status: active
- Liveness: live
- Owner verified: no
- Last scored: 2026-08-03

## Components

- remote · `mcp.opencaselaw.ch`: 60/100, [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw/mcp-2.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw/mcp-2)
- remote · `mcp.opencaselaw.ch`: 55/100 (this document), [markdown](https://verifymcp.io/servers/ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw/mcp-3.md), [page](https://verifymcp.io/servers/ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw/mcp-3)

## Channel facts

- Endpoint: `https://mcp.opencaselaw.ch/sse`
- Transports: `sse`
- Auth: `none`
- Version: `1.3.0`

## Trust breakdown

How this component scores in each security and reliability category. Every signal is checked automatically against the live server, and we only credit what we can confirm. Scores are 0–100 per category. Scoring method: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring (what has changed: https://verifymcp.io/docs/scoring/changelog)

Scored 2026-08-03.

- **Endpoint Security**: 74/100
  - The endpoint's TLS certificate is valid, in date, and uses a strong key.
  - No authorisation is required to call this server. Every tool declares its destructiveHint and none is destructive, so open access doesn't expose one.
  - HTTPS is enforced; there's no plaintext access path.
  - HSTS check failed: the Strict-Transport-Security header is absent.
  - DNSSEC check failed: this domain isn't protected by DNSSEC.
- **Transport & Reachability**: 40/100
  - Verified sse transport via a live MCP handshake.
- **Schema Quality & AI Usability**: 20/100
  - AI-judged instruction clarity (poor).
  - Context-footprint check failed: tool/resource definitions use about 13578 tokens (~323/item across 42 items; 42 tools + 0 resources), over budget; trim descriptions and params.
  - Usage-examples check failed: none of the tools include examples.
- **Stability & Change Management**: 13/100
  - Stability observed for 4 of 30 days with no destabilising changes; credit accrues until the full window elapses.
- **Tool Coverage**: 100/100
  - 100% of tools have a non-trivial description (not blank, and not just the tool's name).
  - 99% of tool parameters carry a description.
  - Structured output schemas are declared (10% of tools); any adoption earns full credit.
- **Capabilities**: 100/100
  - Implements a supported MCP spec version (2025-11-25); the latest is 2026-07-28.

## Install

### Claude

```bash
claude mcp add --transport http ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw https://mcp.opencaselaw.ch/sse
```

### Codex

```toml
[mcp_servers.ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw]
url = "https://mcp.opencaselaw.ch/sse"
```

### opencode

```json
{
  "$schema": "https://opencode.ai/config.json",
  "mcp": {
    "ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw": {
      "type": "remote",
      "url": "https://mcp.opencaselaw.ch/sse",
      "enabled": true
    }
  }
}
```

### OpenClaw

```bash
openclaw mcp add ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw --url https://mcp.opencaselaw.ch/sse --transport streamable-http
```

### Hermes

```yaml
mcp_servers:
  ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw:
    url: "https://mcp.opencaselaw.ch/sse"
```

### Other

```json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://mcp.opencaselaw.ch/sse"
    }
  }
}
```

The mcpServers block is a cross-client convention. Remote transports vary, so check your client's docs.

## Changelog

Every change recorded for this component, newest first. Days that predate change tracking, or that we cannot explain, say so: "we were watching and nothing happened" and "we were not watching" are different claims.

### 2026-08-03 (score 55, +1)

- [security] The server rewrote its instructions, which are the text every model session reads

### 2026-08-02 (score 54, 0)

- [security] The server rewrote its instructions, which are the text every model session reads

### 2026-08-01 (score 54, +1)

- [security] The server rewrote its instructions, which are the text every model session reads

### 2026-07-31 (score 53, +5)

- [functional] We updated how we score, so this day's move reflects our rubric, not a change to the server

### 2026-07-30 (score 48)

First indexed and scored.

## MCP tools (42)

### `search` (~113 tokens)

ChatGPT Deep Research compatibility tool. Returns a ranked list of Swiss court decisions matching a query, each as {id, title, url, snippet}. Pair with `fetch` to retrieve a decision's full text by id. General (non-deep-research) clients should prefer `search_decisions`, which exposes filters (court, canton, date, language) and richer metadata.

Input parameters:

- `limit` (integer): Max results (default 10, max 50).
- `query` (string, required): Natural-language or keyword query.

Output parameters:

- `results` (array)

### `fetch` (~105 tokens)

ChatGPT Deep Research compatibility tool. Fetches one Swiss decision's full text by id, returning {id, title, text, url, metadata}. The id comes from a `search` result (a decision_id like bger_6B_1234_2025; a docket number or BGE reference also resolves). General clients should prefer `get_decision`.

Input parameters:

- `id` (string, required): Decision id from a search result (decision_id, docket, or BGE reference).

Output parameters:

- `id` (string)
- `metadata` (object)
- `text` (string)
- `title` (string)
- `url` (string)

### `search_decisions` (~868 tokens)

Use this tool to find COURT DECISIONS (Rechtsprechung): 1,050,000+ Swiss federal and cantonal decisions plus ~2,800 ECtHR decisions concerning Switzerland. Full-text search with keywords, phrases (in quotes), Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), prefix matching (word*), docket lookup (6B_1234/2025) and column-scoped search (regeste:keyword). Filter by court, canton, language, date range, chamber. Results are relevance-ranked and enriched with citation counts, statute references and is_leading_case. Use offset to page. Most recent decisions: empty query + sort='date_desc' + court filter. Not for statutes (search_laws), commentary (search_scholarship), or administrative guidance (search_practice).

Input parameters:

- `canton` (string): Filter by canton (CH for federal, ZH, BE, GE, etc.)
- `chamber` (string): Filter by chamber/division (substring match). Examples: 'Abteilung V' (BVGer asylum), 'Zivilrechtliche', 'CASSO', 'Strafrechtliche'
- `court` (string): Filter by court code. Federal: bger, bge, bvger, bstger, bpatger, mkg. European Court of Human Rights (Switzerland): bge_egmr (BGE-published DE translations), hudoc_ch (HUDOC Switzerland-tagged), ect…
- `date_from` (string): Start date (YYYY-MM-DD)
- `date_to` (string): End date (YYYY-MM-DD)
- `fields` (string): Response detail level: 'full' (default) includes snippet/regeste/URL, 'compact' returns only docket, date, court, language, decision_id.
- `include_pinpoint` (boolean): Attach a pinpoint Erwägung citation to the top results when a confident match exists (BM25 over the per-decision Erwägungen FTS5 index, gap-confidence ≥ medium). Defaults true; set false to skip the…
- `language` (string): OPTIONAL filter. Restricts results to ONE language. Omit (recommended default) to search across all languages — Swiss federal decisions are issued in DE, FR, or IT depending on the case, so a languag…
- `limit` (integer): Max results to return (max 2000). Omit to use default of 50. Do not set low values like 5 or 10 unless the user explicitly asked for fewer results.
- `marked_for_publication` (boolean): If true, return only Federal Supreme Court rulings flagged for the official BGE collection (the Neuheiten '*' marker, 'für die Publikation vorgesehen') — future leading cases, flagged before the BGE…
- `offset` (integer): Skip this many results (for pagination). Default 0.
- `query` (string): Search query. Best results: 3-8 precise terms, one search per legal issue — never paste document text. Max 4,000 chars; input over 500 chars is auto-condensed to its citations + key terms. Examples:…
- `sort` (string): Sort order: 'relevance' (default for FTS), 'date_desc', 'date_asc'.

### `get_decision` (~129 tokens)

Fetch a single court decision with full text. Look up by decision_id (e.g., bger_6B_1234_2025), docket number (e.g., 6B_1234/2025), or partial match. Full text is truncated at 200,000 characters for very long decisions. Set full_text=false to get only metadata and regeste.

Input parameters:

- `decision_id` (string, required): Decision ID, docket number, or partial docket
- `full_text` (boolean): Include full text in response (default true). Set false to get only metadata and regeste.

### `get_decisions` (~255 tokens)

Use this tool to fetch SEVERAL decisions at once (1-10 ids) instead of calling get_decision repeatedly. Same data per decision — canonical citation strings, Markdown link, Regeste, metadata — in ONE call. Prefer this whenever you are about to read more than one decision from a search result: it is the difference between one tool call and ten, which matters because clients cap tool calls per turn. full_text defaults to FALSE here (unlike get_decision) because ten full judgments exceed connector response limits; set it true only for a short id list, and each text is excerpted with the cut disclosed. Ids not found are reported individually — the rest of the batch still returns.

Input parameters:

- `decision_ids` (array, required): Decision ids, docket numbers or BGE references (e.g. ['bge_BGE_140_III_86', '6B_1234/2025']).
- `full_text` (boolean): Include an excerpt of each decision's full text (default false — Regeste + metadata only).
- `max_chars_per_decision` (integer): Per-decision text cap when full_text is true (default 20,000; total response stays under connector limits).

### `list_courts` (~34 tokens)

List all available courts with decision counts, date ranges, and language coverage. Use this to discover what data is available.

### `get_statistics` (~58 tokens)

Get aggregate statistics about the dataset. Optionally filter by court, canton, or year.

Input parameters:

- `canton` (string): Filter by canton code
- `court` (string): Filter by court code
- `year` (integer): Filter by year

### `find_citations` (~198 tokens)

Given a decision_id, show what it cites and what cites it. Uses the reference graph database with 9.65M citation edges. Returns resolved citations with confidence scores and unresolved references.

Input parameters:

- `decision_id` (string, required): Decision ID (e.g., bger_6B_1_2025)
- `direction` (string): Citation direction: 'both' (default), 'outgoing', or 'incoming'
- `limit` (integer): Max citations per direction per page (default 50, max 200)
- `min_confidence` (number): Minimum confidence score for resolved citations (0-1, default 0.3)
- `offset` (integer): Pagination offset per direction (default 0). The response reports *_total and *_has_more; when has_more is true, re-query with offset=next_offset to retrieve the rest (heavily-cited leading decisions…

### `find_appeal_chain` (~118 tokens)

Trace the appeal chain (Instanzenzug) for a decision. Shows prior instances (lower courts) and subsequent instances (appeals to higher courts). Reconstructs the full procedural path, e.g. Bezirksgericht → Obergericht → Bundesgericht. Uses the is_prior_instance flag from decision headers.

Input parameters:

- `decision_id` (string, required): Decision ID (e.g., bger_6B_1_2025)
- `min_confidence` (number): Minimum confidence score (0-1, default 0.3)

### `find_leading_cases` (~287 tokens)

Find the most-cited decisions for a topic or statute. Authority ranking based on citation graph. Filter by statute (law_code + article), topic query, court, and date range. Top-3 results auto-attach a `pinpoint` field {e_number, matched_sentence, confidence, url, score, source} anchoring the most-relevant Erwägung — see system instructions U3 for how to surface it. Each result also carries citation_string_{de,fr,it} + canonical_url + is_leading_case + citation_count for ready-to-quote Swiss-format citations.

Input parameters:

- `article` (string): Optional article number (requires law_code)
- `court` (string): Optional court filter (e.g., bger, bge, bvger)
- `date_from` (string): Optional start date (YYYY-MM-DD)
- `date_to` (string): Optional end date (YYYY-MM-DD)
- `include_pinpoint` (boolean): Attach a pinpoint Erwägung citation to the top 3 leading cases when a confident match exists. Defaults true.
- `law_code` (string): Optional law code (e.g., BV, OR, ZGB, EMRK, StGB)
- `limit` (integer): Max results (default 20, max 100)
- `query` (string): Optional text query to filter by topic (FTS search)

### `analyze_legal_trend` (~138 tokens)

Year-by-year decision counts showing jurisprudence evolution. Use with a statute reference (law_code + article), a text query, or both. Returns yearly counts with visual bar chart.

Input parameters:

- `article` (string): Article number (requires law_code)
- `court` (string): Optional court filter
- `date_from` (string): Optional start date (YYYY-MM-DD)
- `date_to` (string): Optional end date (YYYY-MM-DD)
- `law_code` (string): Optional law code (e.g., BV, OR, EMRK). Requires article.
- `query` (string): Optional text query (FTS search)

### `draft_mock_decision` (~265 tokens)

Build a research-only mock decision outline from user facts. Combines relevant Swiss case law retrieval with statute references. If possible, enriches statutes with Fedlex text excerpts. IMPORTANT: The tool may return clarification questions (high/medium priority). High-priority clarifications must be answered (via the clarifications parameter) before the tool will provide a conclusion. Call again with clarifications to get the full analysis.

Input parameters:

- `clarifications` (array): Optional answers to prior clarification questions. Each item: {id, answer}. The tool withholds conclusion until high-priority clarifications are answered.
- `deciding_court` (string): Hypothetical deciding court (e.g., bger, bvger).
- `facts` (string, required): Detailed facts of the hypothetical or real case.
- `fedlex_urls` (array): Optional Fedlex URLs used to fetch statute text. Useful when no built-in URL mapping is available.
- `limit` (integer): Number of case-law exemplars (default 8, max 20).
- `preferred_language` (string): Output/analysis language preference.
- `question` (string): Optional legal question to decide.
- `statute_references` (array): Optional explicit statute list. Each item: {law_code, article, paragraph?}.

### `get_case_brief` (~139 tokens)

Structured case brief: regeste, Sachverhalt, key Erwägungen (first 12 only — for orientation, NOT a pinpoint ranking), Dispositiv, statutes, citation authority, related cases. Accepts BGE ref, decision_id, or docket. To pinpoint which Erwägung supports a specific claim, use find_relevant_erwaegung — never guess from key_erwaegungen alone.

Input parameters:

- `case` (string, required): Any case reference: BGE ref ('BGE 133 III 121', '133 III 121'), decision_id ('bge_BGE_133_III_121'), or docket number.

### `get_decision_structure` (~192 tokens)

Structured decision fields: Sachverhalt (facts), Erwägungen as numbered paragraphs ('1', '1.1', '2.3'), Dispositiv (ruling), Regeste (BGE only). Federal decisions only; for cantonal use get_decision. Returns excerpts; for verbatim full text of one Erwägung, use get_erwaegung. PINPOINT POLICY: never guess. If user gave an e_number → verify with get_erwaegung. If user gave only a claim → use find_relevant_erwaegung (FTS5+BM25 with confidence labels). If neither is confident, report no_match — do NOT default to E. 3.1.

Input parameters:

- `decision_id` (string, required): decision_id ('bger_5A_42_2026', 'bge_140 III 86'), BGE reference, or docket number.

### `get_erwaegung` (~167 tokens)

Verbatim text of ONE numbered Erwägung — the citable unit in Swiss practice (e.g. 'BGE 140 III 86 E. 2.3'). Use when the user already gave an e_number. If only a claim was given (no e_number): use find_relevant_erwaegung — never guess. Returns text + sibling Erwägung numbers. e_number: '1', '2.3', '5.2.1', …

Input parameters:

- `decision_id` (string, required): decision_id, BGE reference, or docket number.
- `e_number` (string, required): Erwägung number to retrieve (e.g. '2', '2.3', '5.2.1'). Leading 'E.' is stripped if present.

### `find_relevant_erwaegung` (~196 tokens)

Find which Erwägung paragraph(s) match a legal claim. Server-side FTS5+BM25 over per-paragraph text; returns top-k with confidence labels (high/medium/low) and a highlighted_snippet wrapping the matched sentence in <mark>…</mark> (quote it verbatim). When no_match=true or confidence=low, do NOT cite any Erwägung — report no_match. Federal decisions only. Replaces the 'always-E.-3.1' guessing pattern.

Input parameters:

- `claim` (string, required): Free-text legal claim or proposition the user wants to verify against the decision. The more specific, the higher the confidence.
- `decision_id` (string, required): decision_id, BGE reference, or docket number. Must be a federal decision (structured Erwägungen).
- `top_k` (integer): Number of top matches to return (default 3, max 10).

### `get_article_purpose` (~301 tokens)

Return verbatim text from the Federal Council Botschaft (or Erläuterungsbericht) explaining the legislative purpose of a specific article. Joins the verbatim Botschaft corpus (post-2003 BBl publications, Akoma Ntoso XML where available, PDF fallback otherwise) with the article-Botschaft link table. Returns one entry per source — original Botschaft + any amendment Botschaften. All paragraphs are verbatim text the LLM can quote with `bbl_citation, S. {page}` references. USE THIS when the user asks 'what was the purpose of Art. X' or 'what did Parliament intend' or 'why does Art. X exist'. Coverage is rolling — empty `sources` means the verbatim corpus hasn't ingested that article's Botschaft yet; fall back to get_doctrine for the digest layer.

Input parameters:

- `article` (string, required): Article number, e.g. '41' for Art. 41 OR. Letter-suffixed forms like '41a' supported.
- `language` (string): Botschaft language (defaults to German).
- `max_paragraphs` (integer): Maximum paragraphs per Botschaft (default 8, max 20).
- `sr_number` (string, required): SR (Systematische Rechtssammlung) number of the law, e.g. '220' for OR (Obligationenrecht), '101' for BV, '311.0' for StGB.

### `search_botschaft` (~314 tokens)

Use this tool to retrieve and quote the VERBATIM text of Federal Council Botschaften (legislative messages). Where get_article_purpose answers 'why does Art. X exist?', this tool answers 'show me every Botschaft passage about TOPIC X'. Useful when the caller doesn't know which SR/article to ask for — e.g. starting from a concept like 'Vaterschaftsurlaub' or 'Klimaschutz'. Returns ranked passages (FTS5 BM25) with bbl_citation, page, section path, and an article anchor where the parser could identify one. Quote verbatim; every snippet has a stable Fedlex ELI URI.

Input parameters:

- `language` (string): OPTIONAL — only set when the user explicitly limits the search to one language. Leave unset to search the corpus the caller has (currently de only). Setting this without the user asking will hide all…
- `limit` (integer): Max passages to return (default 20, max 50).
- `query` (string, required): Search terms. FTS5 syntax supported — use quoted phrases for exact matches ('"Vaterschaftsurlaub"'), Boolean operators ('Klimaschutz AND Kanton'), and prefix queries ('Versicherungs*'). Stopwords are…
- `year_max` (integer): Latest publication year of the source Botschaft (inclusive).
- `year_min` (integer): Earliest publication year of the source Botschaft (inclusive) — scope legislative history to an era.

### `get_article_history` (~179 tokens)

Chronological story of a single statute article: current text + every linked Botschaft (enacted + amendments) + leading court interpretations + doctrinal commentary, all ordered by date. Combines statutes.db, materialien.db, reference_graph.db, and ok_commentaries.db into one timeline. USE THIS when the user asks 'how did Art. X evolve' or 'what's the full picture on Art. X' — a single call returns the legislative + judicial + doctrinal arc.

Input parameters:

- `article` (string, required): Article number, e.g. '41' for Art. 41 OR.
- `language` (string)
- `leading_cases_limit` (integer): Max leading cases (default 5, max 15).
- `sr_number` (string, required): SR number of the federal law, e.g. '220' for OR.

### `get_regeste` (~139 tokens)

Get the official Regeste (head-note) of a Swiss court decision. The Regeste is the court's own formulation of the legal rule established — for BGEs especially, this is the canonical citation target. Often references specific Erwägungen via '(E. 5.2.1)' which can then be retrieved verbatim with get_erwaegung. USE THIS when the user asks 'what does this case stand for' or 'what is the rule from this decision'. Available for ~54% of federal decisions (100% of BGE).

Input parameters:

- `decision_id` (string, required): decision_id, BGE reference, or docket number.

### `check_claim_support` (~215 tokens)

Verify whether a Swiss court decision actually supports a legal claim. Uses an independent Sonnet judge to compare the claim against verbatim text from the decision (Erwägung if pinpoint given, else Regeste, else first portion of full text). Returns {supports: yes|partial|no|contradicts|unrelated, confidence, supporting_excerpt, qualifying_excerpt, reasoning}. CALL THIS for any claim where citing the wrong authority would mislead the user — especially when paraphrasing a decision or drawing a proposition from a complex Erwägung. If supports=no or contradicts, do NOT use the cited decision for that claim.

Input parameters:

- `claim` (string, required): The legal proposition you want to verify (e.g., 'A landlord is liable for fire-police violations under Art. 256 OR.').
- `decision_id` (string, required): Decision you intend to cite as authority.
- `pinpoint` (string): Optional Erwägung number ('2.3'). If given, only that paragraph is judged; more precise verdict.

### `attest_response` (~352 tokens)

MANDATORY FINAL-STEP AUDIT of your draft answer. Checks five hallucination classes: (1) every case citation (BGE/BGer/BVGer/BStGer/BPatGer/MKGE and FR/IT forms) exists in the corpus and any pinpoint (E. X.Y / consid. X.Y) resolves to a real Erwägung; (2) every 'Art. X LAW' statute reference resolves (known abbreviation, existing article); (3) every quoted passage of 30+ chars appears verbatim in a cited source; (4) decision dates adjacent to citations match the stored dates; (5) with audit_grounding=true, an independent LLM judge checks that each cited source actually supports the claim sentence preceding it (one call, ~3 s, regardless of citation count). Returns the draft annotated per citation plus a structured issues list. CALL THIS BEFORE emitting any answer containing a case citation, statute reference or direct quotation; set audit_grounding=true for answers with 2+ citations. If ok=false, fix each issue; if ok=true, send linked_text verbatim.

Input parameters:

- `audit_grounding` (boolean): When true, additionally runs the LLM-judge grounding rail: for each verified case citation in the draft, the preceding claim sentence is checked against the cited Erwägung / Regeste / text by an inde…
- `draft_text` (string, required): Your draft response text.

### `cite` (~297 tokens)

Get the canonical Swiss citation string for a decision reference. CALL THIS BEFORE writing any case citation in your response. Returns ready-to-embed citation_string (DE/FR/IT variants plus a canonical URL) and a verbatim rule_statement. If the reference doesn't exist, returns exists=false plus close_matches for typo-correction — DO NOT guess or construct citations yourself; if you get exists=false, either re-query with a close match or skip the citation entirely. Accepts any Swiss reference form: decision_id (bger_4A_747_2012), BGE reference (BGE 140 III 86), or docket number (4A_747/2012). Optional pinpoint ('2.3') generates the Erwägung-anchored citation and URL.

Input parameters:

- `language` (string): Primary language for the citation_string field (all three variants always returned). Default: de.
- `pinpoint` (string): Optional Erwägung/consid. number ('2.3', '5.2.1'). Included in the citation and as a #e-2-3 URL anchor.
- `reference` (string, required): Any form of Swiss case reference: decision_id, BGE ref, or docket number. E.g. 'BGE 140 III 86', '4A_747/2012', 'bger_4A_747_2012', 'MKGE 16 Nr. 1'.

### `get_doctrine` (~192 tokens)

Get statute text + leading cases + doctrinal timeline + Federal Council Botschaft (legislative intent) + scholarly commentary for a Swiss law article or legal concept. ALWAYS USE THIS for questions about the purpose, intent, or ratio legis of a provision — it returns the Botschaft (Materialien) alongside the case law. Input: statute reference ('Art. 41 OR', 'Art. 8 BV') or legal concept. Returns: current statute text, top 5-8 BGEs ranked by citation authority with the rule each establishes, doctrine evolution timeline, Botschaft reference (legislative intent from the Federal Council's message), and scholarly commentary excerpt from OnlineKommentar.ch when available.

Input parameters:

- `query` (string, required): Statute article ('Art. 41 OR', 'Art. 8 BV') or legal concept ('Tierhalterhaftung', 'culpa in contrahendo'). German preferred.

### `generate_exam_question` (~180 tokens)

Generate a Swiss law exam practice question (Fallbearbeitung) based on a real BGE. Returns a fact pattern (Sachverhalt) from a real court decision and a hidden analysis (applicable statutes, leading case, legal test, correct outcome). Workflow: present the fact_pattern and hint to the student, wait for their analysis, then reveal the analysis field and compare. The student can then call get_case_brief(source_decision_id) to study the full case. Pass exclude_ids from previous calls to avoid repeating the same case.

Input parameters:

- `exclude_ids` (array): decision_ids already used in this session — avoids repetition.
- `topic` (string, required): Legal area, statute, or concept. Examples: 'Haftpflichtrecht', 'Art. 41 OR', 'Mietrecht', 'Strafrecht', 'Vertragsrecht'.

### `get_law` (~689 tokens)

AUTHORITATIVE LOOKUP for the current text of any Swiss law article — federal OR cantonal. Served from two local mirrors:
  • Federal (canton='CH', default): Fedlex mirror — core codes (OR, ZGB, StGB, StPO, ZPO, BV, SchKG, BGG/LTF, DBG, IPRG, AIG, BVG, KVG, AsylG, BGFA and dozens more), all three official languages (DE/FR/IT).
  • Cantonal: LexFind mirror — every cantonal statute and ordinance from all 26 cantons (ZH, BE, LU, UR, SZ, OW, NW, GL, ZG, FR, SO, BS, BL, SH, AR, AI, SG, GR, AG, TG, TI, VD, VS, NE, GE, JU), in each canton's publication language.
Both jurisdictions return the same shape (title, articles with heading + text, article_count, canton, level). Use this BEFORE relying on training-data recall — Swiss statute text changes frequently and LLMs routinely hallucinate article content. Examples: get_law(abbreviation='BV', article='8'); get_law(sr_number='220', article='41'); get_law(canton='ZH', sr_number='554.5', article='1') for Art. 1 of the Zurich Hundegesetz.

Input parameters:

- `abbreviation` (string): Law abbreviation (federal only for now: 'BV', 'OR', 'ZGB', 'StGB', 'BGG', etc.). Cantonal laws rarely have canonical abbreviations — use sr_number or discover via search_laws first.
- `article` (string): Article number to retrieve (e.g., '8', '41a', '1bis'). For cantonal § laws (ZH, SH, AI, AR, BS, BL, AG), pass the § number without the § sign. If omitted, returns the full article list.
- `as_of` (string): ISO date (e.g. '2020-01-01') to retrieve a HISTORICAL version of the law from Fedlex. Use this to see what a provision said before it was amended. XML versions available from ~2021; older versions ma…
- `canton` (string): Two-letter canton code (ZH, BE, LU, …) or 'CH' for federal. Default 'CH' preserves backward compat.
- `language` (string): Language for article text: de, fr, it. For cantonal laws, must match the canton's publication language (fr for FR/GE/JU/NE/VD, it for TI, de otherwise).
- `sr_number` (string): Statute number. Federal: SR number ('210'=ZGB, '220'=OR, '101'=BV). Cantonal: the canton's systematic number — e.g. ZH 'LS' number '554.5' (Hundegesetz), '550.1' (Polizeigesetz). The `systematic_numb…
- `systematic_number` (string): Alias for sr_number — the cantonal-friendly name (LS / systematic number), matching get_legislation. Either field works.

### `search_laws` (~491 tokens)

Use this tool to find STATUTE ARTICLES by topic — full-text over every locally indexed article, federal (Fedlex mirror) AND cantonal (LexFind mirror, all 26 cantons), interleaved. Not for whole laws by name (search_legislation) or court decisions (search_decisions). BM25-ranked per corpus, merged by interleaving so each response surfaces both jurisdictions. Returns ranked snippets with article number, heading, law title, canton, and level ('federal' | 'cantonal'). Use this as the DEFAULT entry point when the user asks about any Swiss legal topic and you don't know which law or which jurisdiction applies. Filter with canton='ZH' (etc.) for cantonal-only, or jurisdiction='federal'/'cantonal' for explicit scoping. Examples: search_laws(query='Verjährung') — find statute-of-limitations provisions in federal + cantonal laws; search_laws(query='Hundehaltung', canton='ZH') — ZH dog-keeping rules; search_laws(query='Mietrecht', jurisdiction='federal') — federal-only tenancy law.

Input parameters:

- `canton` (string): Two-letter canton code (ZH, BE, …) to restrict to one canton's statute corpus. 'CH' → federal only. Omit to search every jurisdiction.
- `jurisdiction` (string): Explicit scope override: 'all' (default), 'federal', or 'cantonal'. Most callers should omit this and let sr_number/canton drive the scope.
- `language` (string): OPTIONAL filter. Restricts results to ONE language. Omit (recommended default) to search across all three official languages — most laws exist in DE/FR/IT and a filter silently hides valid hits in th…
- `limit` (integer): Maximum merged results (1-50).
- `query` (string, required): Search query. Explicit syntax is supported and operators must be UPPERCASE: 'Miete OR Pacht', 'Kündigung AND Frist' (AND with an absent term returns 0), '"exakte Wortfolge"' for phrases, 'Verfahr*' f…
- `sr_number` (string): Restrict search to a specific federal law by SR number. Implies jurisdiction='federal'.

Output parameters:

- `cantonal_hits` (integer)
- `federal_hits` (integer)
- `hits` (array)
- `query` (string)
- `total` (integer)

### `get_commentary` (~197 tokens)

Look up a scholarly legal commentary from OnlineKommentar.ch (CC-BY-4.0) for a Swiss federal law article. Without article: lists available commentaries for that law. With article: returns the full commentary text, authors, and citation. Covers 19 Swiss laws including BV, OR, ZGB, StGB, StPO, ZPO, DSG, SchKG, and more.

Input parameters:

- `abbreviation` (string): Law abbreviation (e.g., 'OR', 'BV', 'ZGB', 'StGB'). Preferred over sr_number.
- `article` (string): Article number (e.g., '41', '8'). Omit to list available articles.
- `language` (string): Preferred language (de, en, fr, it). Falls back to de if unavailable.
- `sr_number` (string): SR number of the law (e.g., '220' for OR). Use if abbreviation unknown.

### `search_commentaries` (~198 tokens)

Use this tool ONLY for article-anchored commentary from OnlineKommentar.ch — doctrinal discussion tied to a specific statute article. For the full OA scholarship corpus (which includes OnlineKommentar) use search_scholarship. Searches commentary text, titles, and article numbers. Returns ranked results with snippets, authors, and links. Useful for finding doctrinal discussion of a legal concept across multiple laws.

Input parameters:

- `abbreviation` (string): Filter by law abbreviation (e.g., 'OR', 'StGB').
- `language` (string): OPTIONAL filter (de/fr/it/en). Omit (recommended default) to search across all languages. Set ONLY when the user explicitly asks for one-language results; do NOT auto-apply based on conversation lang…
- `limit` (integer): Maximum results (1-50, default 10).
- `query` (string, required): Search query (supports FTS5 syntax: quotes for phrases, OR for alternatives).

### `search_scholarship` (~424 tokens)

Use this tool for open-access SCHOLARSHIP (Lehre): OA journal articles (sui generis et al.), OA legal commentaries (OnlineKommentar, OpenLegalCommentary — this tool SUBSUMES search_commentaries), dissertations and theses from Swiss university repositories, and federal legal-policy reports. Returns ranked results with snippets, authors, DOI, and direct links. Filters by source, publication type, language, and year range. Sort by relevance or year; an author filter may be used on its own (no query) for a bibliographic browse, e.g. all works by a given author, newest first.

Input parameters:

- `author` (string): Filter by author (substring match on the authors field). May be used WITHOUT a query for a pure bibliographic browse (all works by an author).
- `language` (string): OPTIONAL filter by language (de/fr/it/en). Omit to search across all languages (recommended — the corpus is trilingual).
- `limit` (integer): Maximum results (1-50, default 10).
- `pub_type` (string): Filter by type: 'article', 'commentary', 'dissertation', 'book', 'chapter', 'master_thesis', 'working_paper', 'report'.
- `query` (string): Topic query (FTS5 syntax: quotes for phrases, OR for alternatives). Optional — may be omitted when an `author` (or other) filter is given, which returns a bibliographic browse instead of a topical se…
- `sort` (string): Order: 'relevance' (BM25, default for a topic query), 'year' (newest first), 'year_asc' (oldest first). With no query the default is newest-first.
- `source` (string): Filter by source slug (e.g. 'sui_generis', 'onlinekommentar', 'openlegalcommentary', 'zora_law').
- `year_max` (integer): Latest publication year.
- `year_min` (integer): Earliest publication year.

### `get_scholarship` (~84 tokens)

Fetch a single OA legal publication (article, dissertation, commentary, etc.) by its pub_id. Returns full metadata + abstract + full text if available + cross-citations to statutes and decisions.

Input parameters:

- `pub_id` (string, required): Canonical pub_id, e.g. 'sui_generis:article-1382' or 'onlinekommentar:<uuid>'.

### `find_scholarship_citing_statute` (~138 tokens)

Find OA legal scholarship that cites a given Swiss statute article. Sourced from article-anchored commentaries (OnlineKommentar / OpenLegalCommentary) PLUS full-text citation extraction across the open-access journal corpus (~90k statute references resolved from 9k full-text records).

Input parameters:

- `article` (string): Article number (e.g. '41'). Omit for all articles of the law.
- `limit` (integer): Maximum results (1-100, default 20).
- `sr_number` (string, required): Swiss SR number (e.g. '220' for OR, '210' for ZGB).

### `find_scholarship_citing_decision` (~166 tokens)

Find OA legal scholarship that cites a specific Swiss court decision. Reverse direction of the scholarship↔caselaw bridge: given a decision_id (e.g. 'bge_BGE_140_III_86' or 'bger_4A_571_2008'), return open-access publications that cite it in their full text. Citations are extracted deterministically by regex + lookup against the canonical decision corpus, so resolved citations are always to decisions we hold.

Input parameters:

- `decision_id` (string, required): Canonical decision_id (e.g. 'bge_BGE_140_III_86', 'bger_4A_571_2008').
- `limit` (integer): Maximum results (1-100, default 20).

### `list_scholarship_sources` (~45 tokens)

List the open-access legal scholarship sources currently indexed, with publication counts by source, type, and language. Use this to discover what corpora are available before searching.

### `get_scholarship_full_text` (~140 tokens)

Fetch the full text of an OA legal publication by pub_id, on demand. Cached after first fetch so subsequent calls are instant. License-gated: only records under CC-BY-* (except CC-BY-ND), OA-Swiss-federal, or OA-author-permitted-reuse are extracted. ND/all-rights-reserved records return the upstream URL only. Use this when search_scholarship or get_scholarship returns only abstract/title and you need the article body to verify a claim or quote a passage.

Input parameters:

- `pub_id` (string, required): Canonical pub_id (from search_scholarship results).

### `get_materialien` (~209 tokens)

Look up Materialien for a Swiss federal law article. Returns up to three things: `sources` = per-article digests of legislative intent (BV and BGFA only — 167 articles); `botschaft_documents` = the Federal Council messages that concern this article, with BBl citation, title and Fedlex link (620 SR numbers, 19,809 article links); `amendment_refs` = the AS/BBl publication locators from the statute's own footnotes. Empty `sources` means no digest exists for that law, NOT that the law has no legislative history — read `botschaft_documents` and cite the BBl reference. For full text of a message use search_botschaft.

Input parameters:

- `article` (string): Article number (e.g., '1', '8', '10a'). Omit to get all articles.
- `law_code` (string, required): Law abbreviation (e.g., 'BV', 'BGFA', 'OR', 'StGB').

### `search_materialien` (~170 tokens)

Use this tool for DIGESTED legislative history — per-article intent summaries and key arguments, not verbatim text. COVERAGE IS NARROW: BV and BGFA digests (167 articles) plus BV debate transcripts, and nothing else. For any other law this returns 0 hits, which means 'outside this index', not 'no materials exist'. Prefer search_botschaft, which covers all 6,154 Federal Council messages verbatim, or get_materialien(law_code) for the messages linked to one statute.

Input parameters:

- `law_code` (string): Filter by law abbreviation (e.g., 'BGFA').
- `limit` (integer): Maximum results (1-50, default 10).
- `query` (string, required): Search query (natural language or FTS5 syntax).

### `search_legislation` (~583 tokens)

Use this tool to find WHOLE LAWS by name or subject — 33,000+ federal and cantonal enactments from LexFind.ch; the entry point for cantonal questions ('Hundegesetz Bern', 'loi sur l'énergie Vaud'). Not for article-level topic search (search_laws) or the core federal codes (get_law is instant there). All 26 cantons + federal, DE/FR/IT. Also the entry point for municipal regulations and federal ordinances outside the core Fedlex mirror. SINGLE-CALL MODE: set fetch_top_n_texts=1..3 and the top results are returned with the parsed full text + article list of the law itself — no follow-up get_legislation call needed. Ideal for 'what does cantonal law X say about Y' questions. For core federal codes (OR, ZGB, StGB, BV, StPO, ZPO, SchKG, BGG, DBG, IPRG, AIG, BVG, KVG etc.), prefer get_law / search_laws — they are instant and cover all three languages.

Input parameters:

- `active_only` (boolean): Only show laws currently in force (default true).
- `canton` (string): Two-letter canton code (ZH, BE, LU, UR, SZ, OW, NW, GL, ZG, FR, SO, BS, BL, SH, AR, AI, SG, GR, AG, TG, TI, VD, VS, NE, GE, JU) or 'CH' for federal. Omit to search all 26 cantons + federal at once.
- `fetch_top_n_texts` (integer): If > 0, download + parse the full text of the top N results (max 10) and return each with full_text_preview, article_count, and sample_articles. Use 1-3 for natural-language questions so you can answ…
- `language` (string): OPTIONAL filter. Restricts results to ONE language version. Omit (recommended default) to fan out across DE/FR/IT and merge results — LexFind's API is single-language per request, so omission trigger…
- `limit` (integer): Max results (1-60, default 20).
- `query` (string, required): Search query in natural language or keywords. Examples: 'Hundegesetz', 'loi sur l'énergie', 'Mietrecht Kanton Zürich', 'Baugesetz'.
- `search_in_content` (boolean): Also search inside the law text, not just titles and keywords (slower).

Output parameters:

- `hits` (array)
- `query` (string)
- `total` (integer)

### `get_legislation` (~248 tokens)

Retrieve the FULL TEXT and article list of a specific Swiss law, federal or cantonal, by LexFind ID or SR/systematic number. For federal laws in the Fedlex mirror this is instant (local SQLite). For cantonal laws, the law is downloaded from LexFind as PDF, parsed with PyMuPDF, and segmented into articles (cached 30 days). Returns: title, entity, articles (article_num, heading, text), full_text, article_count. Use search_legislation first to find the right lexfind_id or systematic_number; then pass it here. For the core federal codes, get_law is still the fastest path.

Input parameters:

- `canton` (string): Canton for systematic number lookup (default CH). Required for cantonal laws.
- `include_versions` (boolean): Include full version history (default false).
- `language` (string): Result language: de, fr, it.
- `lexfind_id` (integer): LexFind ID of the law (from search_legislation results).
- `systematic_number` (string): SR/systematic number (e.g., '220' for OR, '210' for ZGB). Used when lexfind_id not available.

### `browse_legislation_changes` (~129 tokens)

Browse recent legislation changes for a canton or federal level. Shows new laws, amendments, and abrogations with dates.

Input parameters:

- `canton` (string): Canton code (CH for federal, ZH, BE, etc.). Default: CH.
- `language` (string): OPTIONAL filter. Restricts results to ONE language version. Omit (recommended default) to fan out across DE/FR/IT and merge results — LexFind's API is single-language per request, so omission trigger…

### `search_practice` (~443 tokens)

Use this tool when the question involves federal ADMINISTRATIVE PRACTICE (Verwaltungspraxis): Wegleitungen, Kreisschreiben, MWST-Infos, Weisungen, Rundschreiben, Vollzugshilfen — interpretive agency guidance, not court decisions. 1,892 documents: SECO commentary on the Arbeitsgesetz and ArGV 1-5, article by article (1,102, DE/FR/IT — the reference for employment-law questions); ESTV tax and VAT (438, DE/FR/IT); BAFU environment (297, DE); SEM migration/asylum/citizenship (55, DE). Returns ranked excerpts with authority, document number, date and a PDF link. NOT covered: BSV/AHV-IV, FINMA, BAG and all cantonal administrations — say so rather than implying a gap is an absence of guidance. For federal administrative decisions before 2017 use search_decisions(court='ch_vb') (VPB/JAAC).

Input parameters:

- `doc_type` (string): Filter by document type. wegleitung (1,102), vollzugshilfe (297), kreisschreiben (285), mwst_branchen_info (84), mwst_info (69), weisung (39), rundschreiben (16).
- `issuing_authority` (string): Filter by authority. SECO (1,102), ESTV (438), BAFU (297), SEM (55).
- `language` (string): OPTIONAL filter (de/fr/it). Omit (recommended default) to search across all languages. Set ONLY when the user explicitly asks for one-language results.
- `limit` (integer): Maximum results (1-50, default 10).
- `query` (string, required): Search query (FTS5 syntax: quotes for phrases, OR for alternatives, NEAR/N for proximity).
- `source` (string): Filter by source key. seco_arg (1,102), bafu_vollzug (297), estv_ks (285), estv_mwst (153), sem_weisungen (55).

### `get_practice` (~90 tokens)

Retrieve a single federal administrative-practice document by its doc_id (e.g. 'estv_ks_ks_nr_28', 'sem_weisungen_weisungen-aug-d'). Returns full body text, title, date, issuing authority, and PDF URL. Use search_practice first to discover the doc_id.

Input parameters:

- `doc_id` (string, required): Document identifier returned by search_practice.

## Diagnostics

Captured diagnostic sections: TLS, DNSSEC, Authorisation, Transports. The full working is on the page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw/mcp-3#diagnostics

## Score history

- 2026-08-03: 55
- 2026-08-02: 54
- 2026-08-01: 54
- 2026-07-31: 53
- 2026-07-30: 48

## Links

- Remote endpoint: https://mcp.opencaselaw.ch/sse
- Repository: https://github.com/jonashertner/caselaw-repo-1
- Website: https://opencaselaw.ch/
- Changelog RSS feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw/mcp-3/changelog.xml
- Changelog JSON feed: https://verifymcp.io/servers/ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw/mcp-3/changelog.json
- HTML version of this page: https://verifymcp.io/servers/ch-opencaselaw-swiss-caselaw/mcp-3