CASE

No full text available

Case Name

Decision of the Obergericht des Kantons Luzern, 220168, 31/08/2001

INCADAT reference

HC/E/CH 418

Court

Country

SWITZERLAND

Name

Obergericht des Kantons Luzern

Level

Appellate Court

States involved

Requesting State

CYPRUS

Requested State

SWITZERLAND

Decision

Date

31 August 2001

Status

Final

Grounds

Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b) | Human Rights - Art. 20

Order

Appeal dismissed, return ordered

HC article(s) Considered

1 3 12 13(1)(a) 13(1)(b) 15 19 20

HC article(s) Relied Upon

3 13(1)(a) 13(1)(b) 20

Other provisions

-

Authorities | Cases referred to

-

INCADAT comment

Exceptions to Return

General Issues
Limited Nature of the Exceptions
Protection of Human rights & Fundamental Freedoms
Protection of Human rights & Fundamental Freedoms

Inter-Relationship with International / Regional Instruments and National Law

Compatibility of the Convention with National Constitutions
Compatibility of the Hague Convention with National Constitutions

SUMMARY

Summary available in EN | FR | ES

Facts

The child, a girl, was aged 3 ½ and living in Cyprus at the time of the alleged wrongful removal. The parents had divorced in November 2000. One month later, before any custody decision was delivered, the mother and her boyfriend took the child to Switzerland.

The father's return petition was issued at the l'Amtsgericht de Sursee on 9 May 2001. On 12 July the trial court ordered the return of the child. The mother appealed.

Ruling

Appeal dismissed and return ordered; there had been a wrongful removal and neither Article 13(1)(b) nor Article 20 had been proved to the standard required under the Convention.

Grounds

Grave Risk - Art. 13(1)(b)

The court recognised that although a return order would cause certain problems for the child these were to be expected and tolerable in the context of a return. The court turned down the mother's application to introduce further evidence (psychological examination and views of the child) given the requirement to act expeditiously (art 11) and the young age of the child.

Human Rights - Art. 20

The mother argued that the trial court had breached Swiss public policy in finding that in the absence of a decision to the contrary parental authority is supposed to be shared under Cypriot law. The court of appeal rejected this ground of appeal.

INCADAT comment

Limited Nature of the Exceptions

Preparation of INCADAT case law analysis in progress.

Protection of Human rights & Fundamental Freedoms

Preparation of INCADAT commentary in progress.

Compatibility of the Hague Convention with National Constitutions

The Convention has been found to be in accordance with national constitutions or charters of rights in other Contracting States, see:

Argentina
W. v. O., 14 June 1995, Argentine Supreme Court of Justice, [INCADAT cite: HC/E/AR 362];  

Belgium
N° 03/3585/A, Tribunal de première instance de Bruxelles, [INCADAT cite: HC/E/BE 547];  

Canada - Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
Parsons v. Styger, (1989) 67 OR (2d) 1, [INCADAT cite: HC/E/CA 16];

Y.D. v. J.B., [1996] R.D.F. 753 (Que.C.A.), [INCADAT cite: HC/E/CA/369];

Czech Republic
III. ÚS 440/2000 DAOUD / DAOUD, 7 December 2000, Ústavní soud České republiky (Constitutional Court of the Czech Republic);[INCADAT cite: HC/E/CZ 468];

Germany
2 BvR 982/95 and 2 BvR 983/95, Bundesverfassungsgericht, [INCADAT cite: HC/E/DE 310];

2 BvR 1126/97, Bundesverfassungsgericht, [INCADAT cite: HC/E/DE 338];

Ireland
C.K. v. C.K. [1993] ILRM 534, [INCADAT cite: HC/E/IE 288];

W. v. Ireland and the Attorney General and M.W. [1994] ILRM 126, [INCADAT cite: HC/E/IE 289];

South Africa
Sonderup v. Tondelli 2001 (1) SA 1171 (CC), [INCADAT cite: HC/E/ZA 309];

Switzerland
5P.1/1999, Bundesgericht (Tribunal fédéral), [INCADAT cite: HC/E/CH 427];

5A_479/2007 /frs, Bundesgericht, II. Zivilabteilung (Tribunal Fédéral, 2ème Chambre Civile), [INCADAT cite: HC/E/CH 953];

United States of America
Fabri v. Pritikin-Fabri, 221 F. Supp. 2d 859 (2001) [INCADAT cite: HC/E/US 484];

Kufner v. Kufner, 519 F.3d 33 (1st Cir. 2008) [INCADAT cite: HC/E/US 971];

Rodriguez v. Nat'l Ctr. for Missing & Exploited Children, 2005 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 5658 (D.D.C., Mar. 31, 2005) [INCADAT cite: HC/E/US 799].

However, several challenges have been upheld in Spain, see:

Re S., Auto de 21 abril de 1997, Audiencia Provincial Barcelona, Sección 1a, [INCADAT cite: HC/E/ES 244];

Carrascosa v. McGuire, 520 F.3d 249 (3rd Cir. 2008), [INCADAT cite: HC/E/USf 970].