SWITZERLAND 37 A

Bezirksgericht, Zurich, 14 February 2003 

(Italian party v. Swiss company)

14 - 02 - 2003

SWITZERLAND 37 A

Yearbook Yearbook Commercial Arbitration, A.J. van den Berg (ed.), Vol. XXIX (2004)
Jurisdiction Switzerland
Summary

See also Obergericht, Zurich, 17 July 2003

(Italian party v. Swiss company)

SWITZERLAND 37 B

Related topics
106

The court discusses issues relating to the identity of the party against whom enforcement of the arbitral award is sought, including: piercing of the corporate veil, succession, assignment, State or State entity, group of companies, agent or principal, etc. For the related defenses to enforcement, see Art. V(1)(a).

Problems concerning the identity of a party
301

The court discusses the principle that the procedure for the enforcement of awards under the Convention is governed by the lex fori, as well as procedural issues (such as the competent enforcement court) not falling under the specific cases of ¶¶ 302-307.

Procedure for enforcement in general
402

The court discusses how to determine whether the document supplied is an award capable of being recognized and enforced, including whether the award is duly authenticated, and whether a copy is duly certified; whether a prior interim and/or partial award should be supplied together with the final award.

Original or copy arbitral award
403

The court discusses issues relating to the requirement to supply the original arbitration agreement or a copy thereof to prove the prima facie validity of the arbitration agreement, as well as the application of more favorable municipal laws that do not provide for this requirement.

Original or copy arbitration agreement
404

The court discusses issues relating to the manner of authentication and certification of the award and/or arbitration agreement.

Authentication and certification
406

The court discusses issues relating to the requirements of the translation (translation by sworn translator, translation of entire award etc.) and whether a translation is necessary.

Translation (paragraph 2)
501

The court discusses questions relating to the general approach taken by the Convention to the grounds for refusal of recognition and enforcement, including its pro-enforcement bias, as well as the system of the Convention, under which recognition and enforcement may only be denied on seven listed grounds and the petitioner has only the obligations set out in Art. IV.

Grounds are exhaustive
503

The court discusses the burden of proof of the grounds for refusing enforcement under the Convention.

Burden of proof on respondent
508 Ground b: Violation of due process in general
509

Due process: The court discusses what constitutes “proper notice” of the appointment of the arbitrators or of the arbitration proceedings.

"Proper notice"
511

Due process: The court discusses various irregularities affecting due process, including letters not sent, names of arbitrators or experts not communicated, language of proceedings and communications, etc.

"Otherwise unable to present his case"
512 Ground c: Excess by arbitrator of his authority - Excess of authority
514 Ground e: Award not binding, suspended or set aside - "Binding"
519

Public policy: The court discusses cases in which the subject matter of the award was not arbitrable in the enforcement State on public policy grounds.

Ground a: Arbitrability
523

Public policy: The court discusses alleged violations of a fundamental rule of due process in the arbitration on the recognition and enforcement of an arbitral award, including the failure to communicate the names of the arbitrators, the failure to send copies of reports or letters filed in the arbitration, etc.

Irregularities in the arbitral procedure (see also Art. V(1)(b))
703(A) Multilateral treaties
704(B) Bilateral Treaties
SWITZERLAND 37 A