Key legal question
Whether a summons to conciliation for a counterclaim is permissible when no main action is pending.
Extracted holding
The rule allowing a defendant to assert a connected counterclaim in the forum of the main action presupposes that a main action is actually pending; a mere conciliation summons and lead certificate do not make the action pending.
Extracted reasoning
Under Glarus procedure, the conciliation stage is only a preparatory prerequisite. The action becomes pending only when the lead certificate is delivered and proceedings are opened before the court. Therefore, the defendant could not validly be summoned in Glarus for a counterclaim against a non-pending action.