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Right to be heard and remittal despite procedural delay interests

AGVE_2002_100Administrative Court / Chamber 1Dec 31, 2002Partially Granted

Open source

Extracted by Omnilex

Omnilex summary

The complainant challenged electricity charges imposed by AEW Energie AG. The court held that the complainant had been excluded from evidence on a central issue, which amounted to a serious procedural defect. Because no concrete interest in speeding up the proceedings justified dispensing with remittal, the matter had to be sent back. The court also noted that parties must be heard when a specialist judge introduces new significant factual elements. Since the complaint succeeded, AEW Energie AG was not charged with procedural costs.

Omnilex headnote

Right to be heard; remittal despite procedural economy: if a party is excluded from the taking of evidence on a material issue, the defect is grave and, absent a concrete overriding interest in prompt resolution, the appellate court must remit the case for renewed proceedings. Where a specialist judge introduces new significant factual elements, the parties must be afforded an opportunity to comment (consid. 2). Costs under § 35 VRPG: when the complaint against a fee decision succeeds, no procedural costs are to be imposed on the authority whose decision was challenged.

Full text

2002Verwaltungsrechtspflege417 nehmen konnten (Pra 88/1999, Nr. 109, Erw. 4/d mit Hinweisen). Zu beachten ist auch das Interesse des Betroffenen, dem an einem baldigen definitiven Entscheid gelegen sein kann (vgl. AGVE 1974, S. 361 f.; 1982, S. 215 f.; 1985, S. 326; Michael Merker, Rechtsmittel, Klage und Normenkontrollverfahren nach dem aargauischen Gesetz über die Verwaltungsrechtspflege [Kommentar zu den §§ 38- 72 VRPG], Diss. Zürich 1998, § 58 N 31, allerdings mit einseitiger Betonung des Aspekts der Verfahrensdauer). bb) Die Verfahrensmängel, die dazu führten, dass die Beschwerdeführerin bzw. ihr Anwalt von der Beweiserhebung zu einem wesentlichen Punkt ausgeschlossen wurde, sind gravierend. Dem Verwaltungsgericht steht keine Ermessensüberprüfung zu. Ein konkretes Interesse der Beschwerdeführerin an der Beschleunigung des Verfahrens ist nicht erkennbar. Somit kann von der Rückweisung nicht abgesehen werden. 100 Rechtliches Gehör.

  • Werden durch einen fachkundigen Richter neue erhebliche Sachverhaltselemente eingebracht, muss den Parteien Gelegenheit zur Stellungnahme gegeben werden (Erw. 2). vgl. AGVE 2002 49 178 101 Kostenverlegung (§ 35 VRPG). -Der AEW Energie AG sind keine Verfahrenskosten aufzuerlegen, wenn die Beschwerde gegen die von ihr verfügten Stromgebühren erfolgreich ist.

Keywords

right to be heardremittalprocedural defectsevidence takingcost allocationelectricity charges

Extracted by Omnilex

Key legal questions extracted by Omnilex

Key legal question

Whether the case had to be remitted because the complainant was excluded from taking part in evidence on an essential point.

Extracted holding

The procedural defects were serious, and the court could not make a discretionary merits review to cure them; remittal was required.

Extracted reasoning

When a party is excluded from the taking of evidence on a material issue, the defect is grave. The court had no discretion to forgo remittal, and no concrete interest in accelerating the proceedings outweighed the need for a proper hearing.

Key legal question

Whether the complainant had to be given an opportunity to comment on new significant factual elements introduced by a specialist judge.

Extracted holding

Yes; if a specialist judge introduces new significant facts, the parties must be heard.

Extracted reasoning

The right to be heard requires an opportunity to respond to materially new factual elements brought into the case by the deciding judge.

Key legal question

Whether AEW Energie AG had to bear procedural costs after its electricity-charge decision was successfully challenged.

Extracted holding

No procedural costs were imposed on AEW Energie AG because the complaint succeeded against the electricity charges it had imposed.

Extracted reasoning

Where the challenge to the authority's fee decision succeeds, costs should not be allocated against that authority.

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