Settlement remains relevant until decision is opened

LP040049Supreme CourtMay 17, 2004Confirmed

Extracted by Omnilex

Omnilex summary

The decision addresses the procedural significance of a party declaration and settlement after the first-instance judgment has been opened. The court states that such declarations remain relevant only until the opening of the decision in the instance concerned. Once the decision has been opened, the matter must be raised in appellate proceedings. On that basis, the defendant’s approach of filing a recourse against the already opened first-instance decision and requesting partial annulment together with approval of the agreement was held to be procedurally correct in principle.

Omnilex headnote

Party declaration; settlement; procedural relevance until opening of the decision in the instance concerned. A settlement or other party declaration is admissible only up to the conclusion of the proceedings in that instance, in particular until the decision is opened; thereafter it may be invoked only within the appellate proceedings. If the first-instance decision has already been opened, the party must seek relief by appeal and may request partial annulment and approval of the settlement (consid. II.1).

Full text

"II.1. Eine Parteierklärung, also auch ein Vergleich, ist bis zur Erledigung des Prozesses in der gegebenen Instanz beachtlich, und zwar bis zur Eröffnung des Entscheides. Danach bedarf es der Geltendmachung im Rechtsmittelverfahren (Frank/Sträuli/Messmer, Kommentar zur zürcherischen Zivilprozessordnung, 3. Auflage, Zürich 1997, N. 16 zu § 188 ZPO). Das Vorgehen des Beklagten, einen Rekurs gegen den bereits durch die unbegründete Mitteilung eröffneten erstin- stanzlichen Entscheid zu erheben, dessen teilweise Aufhebung und die Geneh- migung der Vereinbarung zu verlangen, ist deshalb grundsätzlich richtig."

Keywords

settlementparty declarationopening of judgmentappealcivil procedure

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Key legal questions extracted by Omnilex

Key legal question

Whether a party declaration, including a settlement, can still be considered after the first-instance decision has been opened.

Extracted holding

Yes. A party declaration, including a settlement, remains relevant until the proceedings in that instance are concluded, namely until the decision is opened; afterward it must be asserted in the appellate proceedings.

Extracted reasoning

The court relied on the procedural rule that party declarations are effective only up to the opening of the decision in the instance concerned. Since the decision had already been opened by an unreasoned notification, the defendant had to raise the matter on appeal.

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