Publication Act (PublA) (LPU)

This Law governs the legally effective publication of subjects, enactments, orders, resolutions, and other official texts that impose duties or grant rights, or that regulate the organization, jurisdiction, and duties of authorities and the administration, or that prescribe their procedural workflows.

**Scope**

This law applies to the legislative, executive, and judicial authorities and administrative bodies of the Canton, as well as its public law organizations.

1 Edicts and legislative agreements are valid only if they have been

published in accordance with the provisions of this Act. Legal effects

2 An official text that has been published in accordance with the

provisions of this Act is deemed to be known.

3 If an official text has been extraordinarily published pursuant to

Section 13, affected parties may still prove that they had no

knowledge of it and could not have had any knowledge of it despite

exercising due diligence.

of Publication

The Cantonal Government designates the authority responsible for the publication of official gazettes and the directory of authorities.

**Who is responsible for the content of a publication**

Whoever causes the publication of a text in an official publication organ is responsible for the content of the publication.

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170.5

2nd Section: Official Publication Organs

A. Collections of Laws

Publication Act (PublG)

1 The Official Collection of Laws (OS) is the chronological

collection of cantonal law.

2 The following are published in the OS

a. the Cantonal Constitution,

b. the laws, ordinances, and other enactments,

c. the law-making agreements of the Canton with municipalities,

organizations, other cantons, the Confederation, and foreign states,

d. the enactments of intercantonal bodies that were created with the participation of the Canton of Zurich,

e. the standard employment contracts and generally binding collective

employment agreements.

3 Further resolutions and agreements may be published in the OS if there

is a sufficient public interest.

4 Publication in the OS takes place as soon as the date of partial or full entry into force is determined.

5 A register is maintained for the OS.

1 The Loose-leaf Collection (LS) comprises the decrees and legislative agreements published in the Official Collection (OC) in their currently valid version.

2 It is organized by subject matter.

3 A register is maintained for the LS.

1 If an enactment published in the LS refers to norms issued by third parties that are not published in an official publication organ, a footnote indicates the administrative body or internet address where the norms can be consulted or obtained.

2 The Government Council may oblige the third parties to make the norms available for public inspection or publicly accessible. It regulates the compensation. Any claims for compensation by the third parties shall be governed mutatis mutandis by §§ 183bis–183quater EG ZGB6.

If the wording of a text published in the LS

differs from that in the OS, the text of the OS shall apply. The LS shall be

corrected accordingly.

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Publication Act (PublA)

170.5

1 Edicts and legislative agreements shall be published in the OS

as a rule no later than five days before their entry into force.

2 The Government Council determines the date of entry into force, insofar as

the edict or legislative agreement does not regulate this.

Entry into Force

B. Official Gazette

1 Official texts whose publication in the Official Gazette is legally prescribed shall be published in the Official Gazette.

2 Other official texts may be published therein if there is sufficient public interest.

3 The Official Gazette is structured by subject matter and equipped with a search function.

4 The Government Council shall regulate in an ordinance the specific items, the inclusion of non-official announcements, and the mode of publication.

C. Other Official Publications

The Cantonal Government can designate another official publication organ for certain subject areas as well as for other official intercantonal agreements and enactments of intercantonal bodies.

Official texts can for the time being be published in other ways if this is necessary to ensure the intended effect of the publication, due to urgency, or due to extraordinary circumstances.

Extraordinary publication

D. Common Provisions

1 The legally effective publication usually takes place once and exclusively Legally Effective

subject to differing provisions, in the Official Gazette and according to Publication

§ 6 of the OS.

2 Publication may be made by reference to another source if the official

text is not suitable for official publication organs. The Government

Council regulates the details in an ordinance.

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170.5

Publication Act (PublA)

Form of

Publication

1 The official publication organs are published on a Cantonal website.

2 The office responsible for the publication of the official publication organs ensures their authenticity and integrity through suitable measures.

3 The official publication organs may additionally be published in whole or in part in printed form. The electronic version is the authoritative one.

4 The Government Council shall regulate by ordinance when and how often the Official Collection of Laws (OS) and the Official Gazette are published and whether they are issued in printed form.

Rectifications

1 The office responsible for the publication of official publications shall correct published official texts that

a. do not correspond to the decision of the issuing authority,

b. contain substantively insignificant spelling, grammar, or presentation errors,

c. contain formal errors that distort meaning, especially incorrect cross-references and legislative-technical or terminological inconsistencies.

2 Corrections shall be published in the publication medium that contains the error.

3 Article 21 para. 1 lit. h of the Cantonal Council Act of 25 March 20195 remains reserved.9

Enactments

amended in

appeal

proceedings

Should a decree in an appeal procedure be wholly or partially annulled or amended, this will be published in the OS and LS.

Purpose

Form and

Publication

3. Section: Register of Authorities

The Authority Directory provides information on the current organization of authorities and administration, as well as their personnel.

1 The directory of authorities shall be published on the Internet.

2 It may additionally be published in printed form as a State calendar.

3 No rights or obligations may be derived from the entries in the directory of authorities.

4 Non-official announcements may not be published in the directory of authorities.

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Publication Act (PublA)

Section 4: Data Protection and Access to Information

170.5

¹ Publications under this Law may contain personal data and special categories of personal data according to § 3 of the Law on Information and Data Protection of February 12, 2007⁴, to the extent necessary for a publication provided for by law.

² The Ordinance specifies the periods during which publications can be accessed via a search function. In doing so, it particularly takes into account public interests and private interests.

1. **Access to Official Publications Published on the Internet**

Official publications and the directory of authorities published on the internet can be consulted at every municipality.

2. The Government Council designates the office where the publications in printed form can be consulted.

The Government Council designates in an ordinance the body

where the contents prescribed by Art. 18 of the Publication Act of June 18, 20047 can be inspected.

a. in official

publication

organs and the

authority

directory

b. in enactments of

the Federation and the

Federal Gazette

5. Section: Fees

¹ **Inspection and Electronic Editions**

Inspection of the official publication organs and the authority directory published on the Internet, as well as their downloading for individual processing, are free of charge.

² Additional services are subject to a fee.

³ The Government Council may stipulate special requirements in an ordinance for the utilization of the official publication organs and the authority directory by third parties.

The procurement of official publications in printed form, of special prints, and of the printed State Calendar is subject to a charge.

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170.5

Publications Act (PublG)

Orders for Publication

1 Publications in the OS are free of charge.

2 Publications in the Official Gazette and the Directory of Authorities are

subject to a fee. The following are exempt from this

a. Publications in connection with cantonal legislation,

b. Publications for the exercise of voting rights and other political rights

in cantonal matters,

c. Official announcements in the Directory of Authorities.

3 The Government Council may provide for further exceptions in an ordinance.

Regulation of

Fees and

Costs

1 The Cantonal Council shall establish, in an ordinance, the services subject to fees and the fee rates, and shall regulate the collection of fees.

2 The fees for non-official announcements shall be determined according to market conditions.

Repeal of existing law

Amendment of existing law

Section 6: Final Provisions

The Law on Collections of Laws and the Official Gazette (Publication Act) of September 27, 1998, is repealed.

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1 OS 72, 527.

2 Entry into force: January 1, 2018 (Official Gazette 2017-12-22).

3 Official Gazette 2014-11-07.

4 LS 170.4.

5 LS 171.1.

6 LS 230.

7 SR 170.512.

8 For text, see OS 72, 527.

9 Version in accordance with the Cantonal Council Act of March 25, 2019 (OS 74, 387). In force

since May 1, 2020.

Publication Act (PublA)

170.5

Appendix

The following acts are amended as follows

a. The Municipal Act (MA) of June 6, 1926 (LS 131.1): . . .

b. The Cantonal Council Act (CCLA) of April 5, 1981 (LS 171.1): . . . 8

c. The Administrative Justice Act (AJA) of May 24, 1959

(LS 175.2): . . .8

d. The Hospitality Act of December 1, 1996 (LS 935.11): . . . 8

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