Swiss Civil Procedure Code (CPC)

The Swiss Civil Procedure Code enters into force on 1 January 2011. For the first time in Swiss legal history, the new Code brings about a unification of civil procedure throughout Switzerland, by replacing the 26 different civil procedure laws of the Cantons. The new Code will henceforth apply to all civil proceedings for domestic and international disputes as well as to domestic arbitration. The present book is intended principally for use by foreign lawyers. It includes an overview of the main features of the new law, allowing the reader to become acquainted with the basics of Swiss civil procedure law. The main part of the book consists of a word-by-word English translation of the official text of the Code, including a detailed table of content for quick and easy reference to the Code's system and its 408 articles. The authors have prepared the translation on the basis of the official French and German versions of the Code, thereby staying as close as possible to the original texts. The English translation reflects the status of the law as it will enter into force at the beginning of 2011, that is, as adopted by the Swiss Parliament on 19 December 2008 and with the later amendments resulting from the amendment of the Civil Code of 25 September 2009 (divorce proceedings) and from the ratification of the amended Lugano Convention on 11 December 2009, both of which will enter into force on 1 January 2011 together with the new CPC.