Lugano Convention 1988

The Lugano Convention on Jurisdiction and the Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters was concluded in Lugano on 16 September 1988 (see list of contracting states in the sidebar, Ratifications LugC 1988). It was a parallel convention to the Brussels Convention of the same name of 27 September 1968 on the jurisdiction and the enforcement of judgments in civil and commercial matters. Both Conventions have in the meantime been superseded by newer instruments (see the page on the Lugano Convention 2007).

The Lugano Convention of 1988 continues to apply to certain cases in which the relevant circumstances arose before the revised Convention came into force (Art. 63 revLugC).

Case law

Under Article 1 of Protocol No. 2 on the uniform interpretation of the Convention, the courts in each contracting state, when applying and interpreting the provisions of the Convention, must take appropriate account of the principles developed in the relevant decisions of courts of other contracting states relating to the provisions of the Convention.

The relevant court decisions relating to the Lugano Convention and to the Brussels Convention can be found in the databases of the Court of Justice and the EU Commission.

Last modification 29.08.2023

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