AFFAIRE

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Nom de l'affaire

Cass Civ 1ère 15 juin 1994, N° de pourvoi 93-19058

Référence INCADAT

HC/E/FR 516

Juridiction

Pays

France

Nom

Cour de cassation, première chambre civile (France)

Degré

Instance Suprême

États concernés

État requérant

Mexique

État requis

France

Décision

Date

15 June 1994

Statut

Définitif

Motifs

Risque grave - art. 13(1)(b)

Décision

-

Article(s) de la Convention visé(s)

13(1)(b)

Article(s) de la Convention visé(s) par le dispositif

13(1)(b)

Autres dispositions

-

Jurisprudence | Affaires invoquées

-

INCADAT commentaire

Exceptions au retour

Risque grave de danger
Jurisprudence française

RÉSUMÉ

Résumé disponible en EN | FR | ES

Facts

The child was 8 1/2 months old at the date of the alleged wrongful removal. The parents were married and the family lived in Mexico. During July 1992 the mother unilaterally moved with the child to France. The father petitioned for the return of the child.

The court of first instance, and then on 15 July 1993 the Cour d'appel of Lyon, ordered the return of the child to Mexico. The mother petitioned the Cour de cassation in order to challenge the legality of the latter decision.

Ruling

Challenge to legality dismissed; Article 13(1)(b) had not been proved to the standard required under the Convention.

Grounds

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

The mother argued that the cour d'appel had rejected her submission under Article 13(1)(b) without considering whether the beliefs of the father were prejudicial to the child. The cour de cassation ruled that the the cour d'appel had justifed its decision ordering the return of the child. While it was clear the father belonged to a sect, the philosophical and theosophical beliefs of the father were limited to the art of physiognomy, the science of astrology or even the practice of yoga. Belief in alternative medecine could not, in the absence of any other factor, give rise to a presumption that the child would face a risk of physical or physicological harm if with his father.

INCADAT comment

French Case Law

The treatment of Article 13(1) b) by French courts has evolved, with a permissive approach being replaced by a more robust interpretation.

The judgments of France's highest jurisdiction, the Cour de cassation, from the mid to late 1990s, may be contrasted with more recent decisions of the same court and also with decisions of the court of appeal. See:

Cass. Civ. 1ère 12 juillet 1994, Rev. Crit. 84 (1995), p. 96 note H. Muir Watt ; JCP 1996 IV 64 note Bosse-Platière, Defrénois 1995, art. 36024, note J. Massip [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR 103];

Cass. Civ. 1ère 21 novembre 1995 (Pourvoi N° 93-20140), [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR 514];

Cass. Civ. 1ère 22 juin 1999, (N° de pourvoi : 98-17902), [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR 498];

And contrast with:

Cass. Civ. 1ère 25 janvier 2005 (N° de pourvoi : 02-17411), [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR 708];

Cass. Civ. 1ère 14 juin 2005 (N° de pourvoi : 04-16942), [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR 844];

Cass. Civ 1ère 13 juillet 2005 (N° de pourvoi : 05-10519), [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR 845];

CA. Amiens 4 mars 1998, n°5704759, [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR 704];

CA. Grenoble 29 mars 2000 M. c. F., [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR 274];

CA. Paris 7 février 2002 (N° de pourvoi : 2001/21768), [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR 849];

CA. Paris, 20/09/2002 (N° de pourvoi : 2002/13730), [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR 850];

CA. Aix en Provence 8 octobre 2002, L c. Ministère Public, Mme B. et Mesdemoiselles L. (N° de rôle 02/14917) [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR 509];

CA. Paris 27 octobre 2005, 05/15032 [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR 814];

Cass. Civ. 1ère 14 décembre 2005 (N° de pourvoi :05-12934) [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR @889@];

Cass. Civ. 1ère 14 November 2006 (N° de pourvoi : 05-15692) [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR @890@].

Recent examples where Article 13(1) b) has been upheld include:

Cass. Civ. 1ère 12 Décembre 2006 (N° de pourvoi : 05-22119) [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR @891@];

Cass. Civ. 1ère 17 Octobre 2007 [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR @946@]. 

The interpretation given by the Cour d'appel de Rouen in 2006, whilst obiter, does recall the more permissive approach to Article 13(1) b) favoured in the early 1990s, see:

CA. Rouen, 9 Mars 2006, N°05/04340 [INCADAT cite: HC/E/FR @897@].