Question juridique clé
Whether the Federal Court had jurisdiction under Art. 56 OG over the dispute.
Solution extraite
The court held that it lacked jurisdiction because the dispute was not to be decided under federal law; both the marriage settlement claim and the alimony claim arose from family law, and the limitation defense was also governed by non-federal law.
Motifs extraits
Federal jurisdiction under Art. 56 OG requires that the dispute be decided under federal law or have been decided below under such law. Claims arising from family relations are not governed by federal obligations law, and the federal limitation rules apply only to obligations subject to federal law.