Whether the Lausanne District Civil Court had to recuse itself because the debtor was employed there as a bailiff and had regular professional relations with the judges.
Yes. The objective appearance of bias justified recusal of the court in corps, and the case had to be transferred to another court with the same jurisdiction.
Regular professional relations between the court employee and the judges, combined with the sensitivity of the pending dispute and the debtor's health situation, could create an appearance of prevention in the eyes of the opposing party and third parties. Recusal is required where objectively established circumstances give rise to such appearance.