Most Swiss communities have a designated ‘quiet time’ between 10pm and 6am, so everyone can get a good night’s sleep.
But while playing drums or using a jackhammer or a chainsaw is not allowed, the ringing of the cow bells does not seem to be a problem, as far as law is concerned.
At the very least, Swiss courts don’t appear to be overly eager to ban such noises, and there is no published or even anecdotal evidence of police showing up at farmers’ doorsteps in the middle of the night to demand that cowbells be silenced, the way they respond to complaints about loud music.
What’s this latest case about?
According to Swiss media reports, two people who own property adjacent to a farm were bothered by the sound of cow bells and took their complaint to the local court, presenting, as evidence, a schedule of the ringing that they had recorded themselves.
The case went from local to cantonal court, and while the to lower courts did not come up with a firm verdict, litigants took it to the Federal Court, Switzerland’s highest judicial authority and likely one of few in Europe (or elsewhere) that is called upon to rule on cowbells.
The two litigants asked federal judges to order ‘interim measures’ to silence the bells until the two lower courts could rule on the matter.
On December 5th, however, the Federal Court rejected the request for the temporary ‘gag’ order, telling the plaintiffs to wait until lower courts render their decision.
While this may…sound like a trivial case, this is not the first time that residents of Swiss villages have had beef with cow's bells — or other bells, for that matter, like the ones in churches.
In many of those cases, pro-cow and pro-bell lobbies within those communities have prevailed over complainers.
READ ALSO: 'Annoying' anti-cowbell campaigner denied Swiss passport
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