Non-suit in trust-abuse complaint over return of clothing

BGE 65 I 1Recueil officiel du Tribunal fédéral (ATF) / Volume I3 mars 1939Dismissed

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Résumé

On 15 July 1938, de Stuers complained of breach of trust before the Justice of the Peace of Begnins for refusal to return clothing. After an inquiry and the hearing of Marcel Galland, the justice issued a non-suit on 7 December 1938, holding that the dispute was civil rather than criminal, that the complaint was abusive, and that the proper forum would in any event be Geneva. The complainant was ordered to bear the costs.

Regest

Criminal complaint; refusal to return property alleged as breach of trust does not necessarily disclose a criminal offence where the dispute is essentially civil in nature. Where the proceedings are used abusively to pursue a civil restitution claim, the authority may decline to enter into the complaint and charge the costs to the complainant; questions of venue may further confirm the inappropriateness of the chosen forum.

Texte intégral

1

Le 15 juillet 1938, de Stuers porta plainte en abus de confiance auprès du Juge de paix de Begnins pour refus de restitution des vêtements. Le 7 décembre, après enquête et audition de Marcel Galland, le Juge de paix rendit une ordonnance de non-lieu et mit les frais à la charge du plaignant, estimant qu'il s'agissait d'une affaire civile, que la plainte était abusive et que d'ailleurs le for du délit serait Genève.

Mots-clés

breach of trustcivil disputeabusive complaintcostsvenue