Threatened by regulatory shooting in Geneva, the deer in the Versoix woods will enjoy a slight respite in the coming weeks. The Federal Court decided to grant the suspensive effect requested by a deer defense association, against the advice of the Geneva courts.
The Federal Court has decided to suspend the slaughter of deer which was to begin at midnight Friday evening in the canton of Geneva.
An unexpected turnaround in the deer saga in Geneva, because only two days ago, the Animal Equité association saw its appeal rejected by the Administrative Chamber of the Geneva Court of Justice.
This considered that the culling of deer was indeed necessary given the damage caused to the forest and local crops. She also recalled that preventive measures had already been taken by the canton, but without success, which justified the solution of slaughtering forty animals this winter.
The Federal Court dismisses the Geneva Court of Justice
This position was not followed by the Federal Court. The highest court in the country immediately decided that it was necessary to wait for the appeal to be decided on its merits before the shooting began. The arguments of both parties must now be clarified: the canton has three weeks to respond to the association’s appeal, which will be able to respond in turn.
The legal procedure therefore postpones the slaughter of the deer, knowing that the hunting period for these animals in Geneva would only be possible until January 31, 2025, whatever happens.
Radio subject: Charlotte Frossard
Adaptation web: Julien Furrer
Swiss
