Whether the recusal request still had object after the merits judgment was issued.
No. Once the first-instance merits judgment had been rendered, the recusal request could no longer affect it and had become moot; any recusal arguments had to be raised in an appeal or similar remedy against that judgment.
Under both the former Vaud procedure and the CPC, the recusal judge cannot annul the merits judgment. Because the proceedings were not suspended and the district court decided the merits on 2013-05-03, the request filed on 2013-05-01 no longer had practical object.